White House denies US military escorted oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON: The White House has said that the United States (US) Navy has not escorted any oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz so far.

During a press briefing, a spokesperson for the White House Karoline Leavitt was asked why Chris Wright had deleted a social media post related to the issue.

The spokesperson said the administration was aware that the energy secretary had removed the post shortly after publishing it but added that there had not yet been an opportunity to discuss the matter with him.

The White House spokesperson reiterated that no oil tanker has been escorted through the Strait of Hormuz by the US Navy at this stage.

She also noted that Donald Trump had earlier said the United States could assist tankers passing through the strait if necessary.

Earlier Tuesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote on X that the U.S. Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway to the global oil supply that Iran has effectively closed as the US and Israel continue their military campaign against the Middle Eastern country.

“President Trump is maintaining stability of global energy during the military operations against Iran,” Wright wrote. “The U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”