Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, vowed on Thursday to keep the strait closed as a “tool to pressure the enemy”.
The US has been under pressure to escort tankers through the strait, but so far, the navy has considered that too dangerous.
Chris Wright, the US energy secretary, told CNBC on Thursday that it was “quite likely” the navy would be escorting tankers by the end of the month.
“It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now. We’re simply not ready. All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities,” he said.
Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, told Sky News on Thursday that escorts would begin “as soon as it is militarily possible”.
Supreme leader ‘wounded and disfigured’
He suggested these escorts could be carried out by the US navy or with “an international coalition”.
Meanwhile, Mr Hegseth also claimed on Friday that Iran’s new supreme leader was “wounded and likely disfigured” by recent strikes on Iran.
“Desperate and hiding, they have gone underground, cowering. That’s what rats do,” he said. It came after Mr Khamenei’s first official message as leader was delivered via a newsreader on Thursday.
Moments later, Iranian state TV showed members of Iran’s leadership marching through the streets of Tehran in defiance of Mr Trump, stopping for selfies along the way.
On Friday, the US announced that six crew members were killed on board a refuelling tanker that crashed in Iraq on Thursday night. The incident brings the US death toll to 11.