The US Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote on X that the US Navy had successfully escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude prices fell to $80 a barrel after the incident. However, Wright deleted the post.
Politico writes about this.
A Politico source among US officials said Wrightʼs post was false.
Oil prices topped $100 a barrel on the evening of March 8 for the first time in four years. However, they have been falling since the US President Donald Trump declared on March 9 that the war between Israel, the US and Iran was almost over. He also announced that the US would lift sanctions against “certain countries” in order to lower oil prices. Brent crude is currently trading at around $89 a barrel.
Last week, the United States announced plans to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, although it did not provide details or a timeline for the effort. Trump administration officials, including Wright, noted that at the time, military resources were focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities.
Whatʼs happening in the Middle East?
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. The Israelis called the operation "Lionʼs Roar", the United States called it "Epic Fury". The attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly 40 other senior Iranian officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
Iran responded by launching ballistic missile attacks on Israel and US bases in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Some Iranian drones and missiles targeted infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries. On the first day of the attacks, Iran launched a total of 541 drones.
On March 5, Iran attacked Azerbaijan for the first time — a drone crashed into the terminal building of the Nakhichevan airport. There were injuries. A ballistic missile launched from Iran was also shot down over Turkish territory.
On the night of March 9, Iran launched ballistic missiles at a German military base in the Jordanian city of Al-Azraq. The Jordanian air base also hosts U.S. Air Force units. At the time of the attack, the German military was in shelters, and there were no injuries.
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