US Not Ready to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz

The Secretary of Energy posted on X on Tuesday that, for the first time since the start of the joint operation with Iran against Iran, the United States had escorted a vessel through the Strait of Hormuz, a post he deleted shortly after. According to Wright, the military focus is now on destroying Iran's offensive capabilities and defense industry, and until that happens, they cannot move to a phase focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz militarily. The U.S. Navy is not yet ready to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday, promising that U.S. military escort through the strategic oil and gas passage will happen 'soon' but not immediately. Despite these statements, the U.S. administration, led by President Donald Trump, has repeated in the last two days that Iran's military capabilities in missiles, drones, and naval attacks have been severely degraded and that there is practically nothing left to bomb. Wright said it is likely that the U.S. Navy will be able to escort oil tankers, natural gas tankers, helium, fertilizers, or sulfur (all strategic raw materials for the global economy) through the Strait of Hormuz by the end of the month. Wright reiterated that the war with Iran will be decided in 'a few weeks,' not months, after three days of high volatility in oil prices. Yesterday, images of Iranian attacks on vessels attempting to transit the maritime route and on strategic infrastructure in Oman and the United Arab Emirates again caused fear among investors, and the barrel approached $100 again. Oil prices fell from the near-$100 level to $78, before settling around $85. 'It will happen relatively soon, but it cannot happen now. We are simply not ready,' Wright said in an interview with CNBC.