New Delhi, March 11 -- The White House said the United States had not escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting a now-deleted social media post by US energy secretary Chris Wright.

At a press briefing on Tuesday (March 10), White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the claim that the United States Navy had accompanied a vessel through the strategic waterway.

"The president and his energy team are closely watching the markets, is speaking with industry leaders, and the US military is drawing up additional options to protect trade through the strait," Leavitt said, declining to elaborate on what those options might be.

Her comments came after Wright posted - and later deleted - a message on X stating ...