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US signals readiness to escort tankers through Hormuz as traffic thins, but no mission has been launched
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. Navy could begin escorting commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz «as soon as reasonable,» reinforcing President Donald Trump’s public statements that the United States is prepared to protect energy shipments through the strategic waterway.
But a U.S. official told Fox News Digital that American forces are not currently escorting ships through the Strait and declined to speculate on future operations, making clear that no convoy mission has yet been launched.
«As soon as it’s reasonable to do it, we’ll escort ships through the straits and get the energy moving again,» Wright said on «Fox and Friends» Friday.
The renewed signaling comes as commercial traffic through the strait has thinned sharply after attacks on tankers and soaring war-risk insurance costs, raising pressure on global energy markets and Gulf producers that rely on the narrow corridor for oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
A time lapse video shows marine traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz. (Kpler/Marine Traffic)
Only nine oil tankers, cargo ships and container ships have crossed the strait since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analyzed by Agence France-Presse after three vessels were attacked over the weekend.
At least three tankers and a vessel carrying gas have transited the choke point since the strikes, according to Agence France-Presse.
The Strait of Hormuz normally handles roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, making even a temporary disruption a serious concern for global energy markets and Gulf producers that rely on the passage to move supplies to Asia and Europe.
Several commercial vessels have been struck since the start of Operation Epic Fury, heightening security concerns for shipowners and insurers. Industry analysts say war-risk premiums have surged, and some coverage has become difficult to secure, prompting tankers to anchor outside the Strait rather than risk transit.
Despite the political signaling about potential naval protection, the U.S. military has not confirmed any escort operation.
A U.S. official told Fox News Digital Friday, «We are not escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and we will not speculate on future operations.»
Iranian military personnel take part in the «Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz» exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz Feb. 16, 2026. (Press Office Of The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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The gap between policy signaling and operational execution underscores the delicate balance Washington faces. Escort missions would require U.S. warships to operate in close proximity to Iran’s coastline in a narrow and heavily surveilled waterway, increasing the risk of direct confrontation.
Iran, for its part, has stopped short of declaring a closure of the strait while leaving the door open to escalation.
Iran has «no intention» of closing the Strait «right now,» Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with NBC News Thursday.
«As the war continues, we will consider every scenario.»
Araghchi also suggested commercial ships were avoiding the passage out of fear of being struck «by either side» and said international oil tankers were not targets for Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime choke point that handles roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil shipments, and tensions between the U.S. and Iran raise concerns about shipping security. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
Even without a formal closure, the measurable reduction in ship traffic is placing real pressure on global markets and Gulf economies. Crude prices have risen amid concerns that prolonged disruption could tighten supply, particularly for Asian buyers dependent on Gulf exports.
Trump has publicly downplayed concerns about rising gasoline prices in the United States.
«They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit,» he told Reuters.
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The administration’s posture suggests it is prepared to tolerate short-term energy price volatility while signaling readiness to intervene militarily if commercial shipping cannot resume safely on its own.
For now, however, the Strait of Hormuz remains open but under strain, a critical artery of the global economy operating in a climate of active attacks, rising insurance costs and escalating rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.
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war with iran,middle east,energy,us navy
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At least 20 people are dead after an overnight attack in Nigeria’s north-central region on Palm Sunday.
The attack happened in the Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North area of Plateau state, according to Joyce Lohya Ramnap, the state commissioner for information.
It remains unclear how many people were wounded or killed, and who was behind the massacre.
Residents told The Associated Press that gunmen on bikes shot «sporadically» into the community, killing at least 20 people.
Police officers gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
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International Christian Concern (ICC), a global humanitarian organization, reported the gunmen killed at least 30 people.
ICC also noted at least 10 people were killed earlier Sunday, with humanitarian worker, Alex Barbir, stating on social media that the victims were Christians.
Following the attacks, the Plateau state government imposed a 48-hour curfew.
People gather at the scene of Sunday night attack in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
62 NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RESCUED, 2 MILITANTS KILLED, ARMY SAYS
In 2025, the ICC documented the killing of at least 54 Christians in Zikke village near Jos following Palm Sunday celebrations.
More than 100 homes were destroyed during the ambush.
Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst country in the world for Christian persecution, accounting for 72% of the total number of Christian killings worldwide in 2025, according to Open Doors, a global Christian charity.
People gather in Gari Ya Waye community in the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP Photo)
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Last year alone, Open Doors records show 546 Christians were killed in the Plateau State.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world, crime
INTERNACIONAL
Dem lawmaker sparks online firestorm after saying Iryna Zarutska mural doesn’t align with city’s values
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A Rhode Island Democratic state representative is facing blowback on social media after claiming that a mural of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman whose brutal murder while riding a North Carolina sparked national outrage, doesn’t reflect the «values» of the city of Providence.
«Ultimately, we want to make sure that every community member who calls Providence home feels safe,» Rep. David Morales told local media about a mural of Zarutska facing calls to be removed from the exterior of an LGBTQ+ club in downtown Providence.
«We can both agree that this mural behind us does not reflect Providence’s values nor does it reflect the creativity that we would want to see in our city.»
The lawmaker’s comments immediately sparked negative reactions from conservatives on social media after they were posted by the conservative influencer account End Wokeness in a post that has been viewed over 1 million times.
CHARLOTTE RAIL MURDER SUSPECT LINKED TO INMATE RELEASE APPROVED UNDER EX-DEM GOVERNOR, GOP ALLEGES
Rhode Island State Rep. David Morales is facing heat over comments made about a mural of Iryna Zarutska. (WPRI; Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
«What are his values?» Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted on X.
«He cites people wanting to be ‘safe’ as a reason to destroy a mural on a private building meant to honor a murdered woman,» Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. «You can’t imagine how crazy Democrats are in these blue bastions. You think what you see on MSNBC is nuts? It’s even worse in their bubble cities.»
«Honoring the memory of a Ukrainian immigrant who had her throat slit on public transportation by a repeat offender with 14 prior arrests doesn’t reflect Providence’s values????» Defending Education communications director Erika Sanzi posted on X.
«What ‘value’ does the mural not reflect?» Republican Rep. Chip Roy posted on X.
«Iryna’s death highlights the consequences of warped policies that keep violent criminals out of jail,» Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted on X. «Memorializing her reminds us that those policies create more victims and should be eliminated. Telling that those aren’t Rep. Morales’ ‘values.’»
«True,» Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X. «Dems would prefer a mural celebrating her murderer.»
«Providence had a George Floyd mural and nobody called it divisive,» GOP strategist and commentator Mehek Cooke posted on X. «Iryna got murdered by a man arrested over a dozen times, and a city couldn’t let her face stay on a wall because the donor list was inconvenient. We means-test grief now.»
CNN commentator Scott Jennings referred to Morales as a «deranged lunatic» in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Morales’s office for comment but did not receive a response.
Morales responded to Musk on X in a post clarifying what his «values» are.
«Not to exploit the death of a refugee to push an agenda centered around fear and division,» Morales wrote. «My values, like many of our neighbors in Providence, is to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE’s state-sanctioned violence and supporting our refugee neighbors with authentic care.»
CHARLOTTE LIGHT-RAIL STABBING MURDER SPURS LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM FROM NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS
Iryna Zarutska cowers as her attacker towers over her. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
The mayor of Providence, Democrat Brett P. Smiley, has also spoken out against the mural.
«The murder of the individual depicted in this mural was a devastating tragedy, but the misguided, isolating intent of those funding murals like this across the country is divisive and does not represent Providence,» Smiley said. «I continue to encourage our community to support local artists whose work brings us closer together rather than further divides us.»
Zarutska, a 23-year-old refugee who fled her country after the Russian invasion, was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while riding the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte, N.C., last year.
The suspect, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is charged with violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system resulting in death, which is a capital offense under federal law.
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Booking photo of Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., taken Sept. 14, 2022, following his arrest in Mecklenburg County. Brown, 34, is now charged in the Aug. 22, 2025, stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska aboard a Charlotte light-rail train. (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO))
Records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction show Brown has a prior criminal history, including convictions for larceny, breaking and entering and armed robbery. He served five years in prison starting in 2015.
Zarutska’s death prompted questions about soft on crime policies adopted by many Democratic-run cities. President Donald Trump spotlighted the killing during his State of the Union address last month.
«Iryna was riding home on the train when a deranged monster, who had been arrested over a dozen times and was released through no-cash bail, stood up and viciously slashed a knife through her neck and body,» Trump said.
Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
politics, rhode island, crime world
INTERNACIONAL
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