The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The Navy’s assessments spell continued disruption to Middle East oil exports and reflect a divergence from Donald Trump’s statements that the U.S. is prepared to provide naval escorts whenever needed to restart regular shipments along the key waterway.
Shipping along the narrow strait has all but halted since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran more than a week ago, preventing exports of around a fifth of the world’s oil supply and sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
There’s good reason navy has moved far away from Iran. They’ve struck targets accurately far further than the 10km off their coast that is the Straits. Likely more Americans killed than reported in GCC. The Navy is refusing not only because it is a certain suicide mission that fails, but also because of the extreme embarrassment risk of that certain failure.