The spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), Major General Ali Mohammad Naeini, denied this Tuesday, 10, that an oil tanker had been escorted by the United States military through the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, no American warship has even approached the region during the current conflict between Washington and Tehran.
In a message released by the IRGC on Telegram, Naeini stated that US naval forces did not have the “courage” to approach the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz itself throughout the war. The statement contradicts a statement made – and deleted – earlier by an American government official about an alleged oil vessel escort in the area.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a social media post that the US Navy had successfully escorted a tanker through the strait to ensure that oil continued to flow to global markets during military operations against Iran. The post, however, was deleted shortly afterwards.
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The episode occurs amid fears of interruptions in maritime traffic in the region, through which around a fifth of all oil traded in the world passes. The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the main points of attention for the energy market since the beginning of hostilities between the United States and Iran.
