Assailed by daily requests, the US Navy gave the same response to ships that asked to be escorted through the Strait of Hormuz

The US Navy has turned down almost daily requests from the naval industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war with Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too great at this time, according to sources familiar with the matter, cited by the Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

The US Navy's assessments point to a continued disruption to Middle East oil exports and reflect a divergence from President Donald Trump's statements that the US is prepared to provide naval escort whenever necessary to resume regular shipping on this important sea route.

Shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz has been virtually halted since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran more than a week ago, stymieing exports responsible for about a fifth of the world's oil supply and sending global oil prices soaring to levels not seen since 2022.

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official said the strait was closed and Iran would fire on any ship that tried to pass, Iranian state media reported last week. Several ships have already been hit.

The U.S. Navy has held regular briefings with counterparts in the naval and oil industries and has said it cannot provide escort vessels at this time, three naval industry sources familiar with the matter said.

The sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the subject, said the shipping industry made requests almost daily during calls for naval escorts through the straits.

One of the sources said the US Navy's assessment at Tuesday's briefing had not changed and that sending the escort ships would only be possible after the risk of attack had been reduced.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House announcement

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said earlier on Tuesday that the US has not yet escorted any oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, contrary to a since-deleted X message by Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

However, the US Navy is prepared to do so if necessary, Leavitt said, according to CBS News.

“I was made aware of this post,” Leavitt said during a White House press conference.

“I have not had the opportunity to speak directly with the Secretary of Energy on this subject. However, I know the post was deleted fairly quickly and I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted any tankers or ships to date, although of course that is an option that the President (Donald Trump) has said he will certainly use if and when necessary at the right time,” the spokeswoman added.

Iran has begun placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to sources

Iran has begun placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy checkpoint, according to two people familiar with US intelligence reports on the matter, CNN reports.

The placement of mines is not yet widespread, with several dozen being placed in recent days, the sources said. But Iran still has 80 percent to 90 percent of its small boats and mine-laying vessels, one of the sources said, so its forces could place hundreds of mines along the waterway.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which now effectively controls the strait along with Iran's traditional navy, has the ability to deploy a “barrier” of scattered minecraft, explosive-laden boats and shore-based missile batteries, CNN also writes.

Attacks on oil tankers and cargo ships sailing through Hormuz – which have already killed seven sailors, according to the International Maritime Organization – as well as persistent threats by the Revolutionary Guards to continue these attacks have virtually blocked traffic in the strait.

All this contributed to the increase in the price of oil to levels not seen since 2022: on Monday, the price of Brent crude oil, the benchmark in Europe, reached almost 120 dollars per barrel, although Trump's subsequent statements, according to which the war with Iran is “almost over”, had a calming effect, and by noon it was trading below 93 dollars, Agerpres notes.