The United States has not escorted any oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, the White House said Tuesday, after a statement claiming it had done so was posted and then deleted from Energy Secretary Chris Wright's social media account, AFP reports.

The reversal caused market turbulence, with oil prices dropping sharply after Wright's initial post, then falling further after it was deleted — just minutes after publication.

"I can confirm that the US Navy has not at this time escorted a tanker or vessel, though of course that is possible," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing. Iran's IRGC also stated that no US Navy vessel had "dared" approach the Strait of Hormuz, calling Wright's statement "pure lies."

A Department of Energy spokesperson told AFP that "the video clip was removed from Secretary Wright's official X account after Energy Department staff determined that comments had been incorrectly added to it." According to data collected by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Iranian authorities, at least 10 oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz were attacked between March 1 and 10.

It has been confirmed that no American vessel has escorted oil tankers on the key waterway since the war began on February 28.

When asked about the matter on CNBC, Wright said convoy operations would happen "relatively soon, but not now." "We're just not ready. All of our military resources are currently focused on destroying Iran's offensive capabilities," he said, adding that the Navy could be ready to begin escort operations by the end of the month.

Before the war, an average of 138 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz daily. Since the conflict began, more than 20 commercial vessels have been detected crossing the strait from March 2, according to Marine Traffic data — some with transponders switched off to conceal their location.