US Energy Secretary Claims Oil Tankers Traverse Strait of Hormuz Under US Naval Escort

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, speaking on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference, has made unsubstantiated claims regarding the transit of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. In an apparent effort to temper rising energy prices, Wright asserted that tankers are crossing the vital waterway nightly under U.S. naval escort, stating that the United States has removed Iran’s leverage in attempting to control global shipping.

Wright further claimed that the data concerning vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz is precise and fact-based, not an estimation. He indicated that the seven-day moving average of covert oil shipments, facilitated by U.S. naval escorts, is increasing and expected to continue this trend. Wright also revised a previous peak figure of 17 million barrels in a single day (September 1), noting that an overlooked vessel meant the actual volume that day was 18 million barrels.

During his address at the IAEA general conference, the U.S. Energy Secretary also issued a statement regarding Iran’s nuclear program, asserting that Tehran’s continued non-compliance with its nuclear obligations undermines the nuclear non-proliferation regime and is unacceptable. He added that Iran has had sufficient time to address its “gross failures” and that extending this period would only postpone the “expected accountability.”