White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said that the Energy Secretary's report that the US Navy assisted an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was false, UNN reports with reference to AP.
"I can confirm that the US Navy is not currently escorting a tanker or vessel, although, of course, that is a possibility," Leavitt told reporters at a briefing.
Leavitt said she had not had a chance to speak with the Energy Secretary about the misleading report, which caused a reaction in energy markets. But she added that "the report was removed quite quickly."
The publication notes that the prospect of a military escort could open the strait for key oil and natural gas supplies, which would help reduce price pressure created by the US and Israel's war with Iran.
Recall
Earlier, media reported that a vessel carrying one million barrels of Saudi oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, becoming one of the first large tankers to leave the Persian Gulf after traffic through the narrow strait virtually ceased.