The US has not escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.
After an hour of confusion over whether the US Navy had escorted a tanker through the strait, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the report was not true.
She could not, or would not, explain why the minister wrote that on social media.
Oil prices plummeted
Iran's Revolutionary Guard stated shortly before Leavitt's press conference that "no American ship has dared to approach Hormuz."
The only immediate effect was that the price of North Sea oil (Brent) fell by 15 percent almost immediately after the initial announcement. After the denials, it rose again.
President Donald Trump stated a week ago that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz for a "reasonable price" could be insured by the United States and, if necessary, escorted by American military personnel.
“This will be available to all shipping lines. If necessary, the US Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. However, he never explained what “a reasonable price” is.
Iran warned
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf has been virtually halted, with Iran attacking several commercial vessels in the area. The Revolutionary Guard has warned that they will “set fire” to any ships that try to pass through.
The strait is the world's most important transport route for oil exports, with normally 20 million barrels of oil passing through every day.
On Monday, a Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying Saudi crude oil passed through the strait without an escort, Reuters and Bloomberg report.
