U.S. Navy Turns Down Hormuz Escort Requests Because of High Risk

March 11 ------ The U.S. Navy has so far declined to provide Strait of Hormuz escorts for shipping, despite daily requests, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The reports contradict an earlier statement from Energy Secretary Chris Wright - since withdrawn - that a Navy vessel had escorted one tanker through the waterway.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims that no U.S. Navy warships have "dared" to come near the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of hostilities on February 28, and accounts from shipping industry sources appear to confirm this assessment. During regular briefings, the U.S. Navy has informed industry leaders that there is no possibility to provide escorts through the strait because of the high risk of attacks - despite a reported exhortation from the White House to encourage shipowners to get under way on their own, unescorted.

Iran has pledged to set passing ships "on fire," and has recently warned merchant shipping to be "very careful" if choosing to transit. So far, only a small number of Western owners have attempted the run, with AIS turned off. Naval escorts may happen at a future point, according to the White House. "That’s an option the president has said he will absolutely utilize if and when necessary, at the appropriate time," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday.

Other nations are moving to provide naval escorts, though not necessarily within range of Iranian weaponry. Pakistan has begun dispatching warships to transit alongside tankers, potentially headed for the Arabian Gulf. And the government of France has pledged a 10-ship commitment to provide protection for shipping throughout the Mideast, from the Med to the Gulf of Oman - and through the Strait, once warlike conditions have eased.

Source: maritime-executive.com