The United States military is not yet ready to escort commercial oil tankers through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, as its resources are currently focused on operations against Iran, US energy secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday.Speaking to CNBC, Wright said the US military’s immediate priority is targeting Iran’s offensive capabilities and the industries supporting them.
“It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now. We’re simply not ready,” Wright said. “All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities,” he said.
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He added that escort operations for commercial vessels could begin “quite likely” by the end of the month.A day earlier, when a reporter asked Trump if he was encouraging the CEOs of oil companies to use the Strait of Hormuz right now, Trump said, “I think they should, I think they should.” When asked if Iran has laid any mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “We don’t think so.”Meanwhile, the United States Central Command said earlier this week that US forces had “eliminated” 16 Iranian vessels suspected of laying naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came as Donald Trump warned Tehran that any mines placed in the key maritime corridor must be removed immediately.Trump had warned Iran would face military consequences if mines were deployed in the waterway, a crucial route for global energy shipments. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the narrow strait.In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Wednesday also said the US was using technologies previously deployed against drug trafficking networks to “permanently eliminate” any vessel attempting to mine the strait.The Pentagon confirmed that US forces had been striking Iranian mine-laying vessels and storage facilities as part of the broader conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.The fighting has already disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about global energy supplies and pushing oil prices higher.Earlier this week, General Dan Caine said the US military had begun examining options for escorting commercial ships through the strait if ordered to do so.“We’re looking at a range of options there,” Caine had told reporters at the Pentagon.However, sources told Reuters that the US navy has so far declined repeated requests from shipping companies seeking military escorts through the waterway.Confusion briefly emerged on Tuesday after Wright posted on X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through the strait, before later deleting the post.The White House later clarified that the US has not yet escorted any commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that no such escort operation had taken place so far.
