HIGHMILITARY
US Energy Secretary Wright deletes Hormuz escort claim — US official: 'Not true, no ships escorted'
·Strait of Hormuz / Washington DC
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright deletes his post claiming the US Navy escorted an oil tanker through Hormuz. US official tells Reuters: 'Not true — the military has not escorted any ships through Hormuz.' Iran also denied. Brent crude had fallen 15% to $84 on the announcement before recovering. Strait remains closed to commercial traffic.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright deleted a post on X that had claimed the US Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz 'to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.' A US official subsequently told Reuters: 'Not true' — the military has not escorted any ships through the Strait of Hormuz so far. Iran also denied the claim. It is unclear why Wright initially posted the claim or why it was deleted. The false announcement had an immediate and significant market impact: Brent crude futures fell 15% to $84.09 a barrel after the announcement — reflecting how much of the current oil price surge is driven by Hormuz closure premium. The recovery after the denial was swift. The episode underscores: (1) the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial shipping, (2) any genuine re-opening will have massive market impact, (3) there is apparent confusion or miscommunication within the US government about the actual status of Hormuz transit operations. US intelligence is simultaneously seeing signs Iran is preparing to mine the strait — which would deepen the closure.
Actor responses
Energy Department clarified the social media post was incorrectly captioned by staff. Secretary Wright not personally responsible. US military is considering escort options and drawing up additional plans to keep Hormuz open.
Iran confirms: no oil tanker has transited Hormuz since the war began. US was forced to retract its false claim. Hormuz remains under Iranian monitoring.
Sources