Wright deletes post that US helped tanker pass Hormuz

Wright deletes post that US helped tanker pass Hormuz

The U.S. military has not yet escorted any oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, contradicting a now-deleted post from Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

© AP Photo/Alex Brandon

“I was made aware of this post. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the Energy secretary about it directly, however, I know the post was taken down pretty quickly and I can confirm that the U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time,” Leavitt said during a White House press briefing.

She noted, however, that the possibility of military escorts for tankers through the strait is still on the table.

“That’s an option the president has said he will absolutely utilize if and when necessary at the appropriate time,” Leavitt said.

An Energy Department spokesperson blamed staff for the “incorrectly captioned” post.

“A video clip was deleted from Secretary Wright’s official X account after it was determined to be incorrectly captioned by Department of Energy staff,” the spokesperson said in an email. 

“President Trump, Secretary Wright, and the rest of the President’s energy team are closely monitoring the situation, speaking with industry leaders, and having the U.S. military draw up additional options to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, including the potential for our Navy to escort tankers,” the spokesperson added.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key channel near Iran through which the equivalent of about a fifth of the world’s oil typically flows.

Wright originally wrote Tuesday that “The U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”

After his post, oil prices plummeted. They rose in the aftermath of the deletion and Leavitt’s comments. At press time, U.S. benchmark WTI was trading at around $86 per barrel on Tuesday, representing a decline from Monday.

Read more at TheHill.com.

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