U.S. military says it cannot escort ships through Strait of Hormuz

U.S. military officials have stated they are not ready to escort commercial vessels, including oil tankers, through the Strait of Hormuz. They cited the high risk, noting that 16 ships have already been hit in the waterway.

Iran has reportedly been laying mines in the strait and has issued repeated warnings to U.S., Israeli, and allied ships attempting to pass through. The situation has effectively closed a critical global oil and gas shipping route.