PNN – The US Secretary of Energy officially withdrew from Washington’s previous claims to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that Washington is not currently ready to begin escorting oil tankers in the vital Strait of Hormuz waterway.
Wright explained in an interview with CNBC: This operation will be carried out relatively soon, but it is not possible at this time. We are simply not ready. All of our military assets are currently focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industries that support those capabilities.
The US energy secretary added that a possible escort operation could begin later this month. He also announced his plan to visit the Pentagon later that day, saying: This is something the military is working on.
Wright’s comments come hours after he claimed on his social media account that the US Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the post was deleted within minutes.
The developments come amid heightened tensions and rising oil prices following the Israeli-American war on Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has been virtually closed to exports since the conflict began.