US military ‘not ready’ to escort tankers through Hormuz Strait: energy secretary

2026-03-12 - 13:47

The US military is currently “not ready” to escort tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz because all its assets are focused on striking Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday. Wright’s comments came as an attack on two oil tankers off Iraq killed at least one person, and oil prices briefly soared past $100. Since launching the war on Iran, US President Donald Trump has sought to calm the markets by offering US Navy escorts for oil tankers and reinsurance facilities for shipping companies – but no escorts have so far taken place. “It’ll happen relatively soon, but it can’t happen now. We’re simply not ready,” Wright told CNBC. “All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.” He added that it was “quite likely” such escorts would be taking place by the end of the month.