The White House said the United States had not escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting a now-deleted social media post by US energy secretary Chris Wright.
At a press briefing on Tuesday (March 10), White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the claim that the United States Navy had accompanied a vessel through the strategic waterway.
“The president and his energy team are closely watching the markets, is speaking with industry leaders, and the US military is drawing up additional options to protect trade through the strait,” Leavitt said, declining to elaborate on what those options might be.
Her comments came after Wright posted — and later deleted — a message on X stating that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran rejects claim
Officials from Iran also dismissed the claim. A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said no American ships had escorted vessels through the region since the start of the war.
According to the spokesperson, US forces would not approach the area.
“No American ships dare to come close to the waterway, the Gulf of Oman or the Persian Gulf since the war started,” the spokesperson said.
The Revolutionary Guards added in a statement that American vessels would be *“stopped”* if they attempted to travel through the strait.
Deleted post sparked controversy
In his now-deleted message, Wright said the US Navy had acted to ensure the stability of global energy supplies.
The navy had acted “to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets,” Wright wrote, without providing further details.
The claim was quickly questioned and later contradicted by the White House.
Trump’s earlier escort plan
Last week, US president Donald Trump announced plans for naval escorts for commercial vessels traveling through the Gulf.
He also said the United States would provide insurance and guarantees for ships using the route *“at a very reasonable price.”*
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints, with a large share of global crude shipments passing through it.
Iran accuses US of market manipulation
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused US officials of spreading misinformation in order to influence markets.
“Posting fake news to manipulate markets won’t protect them from the inflationary tsunami they’ve imposed on Americans,” Araghchi wrote on X.
