U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez (not pictured) speak to the media after attending a meeting marking the highest-level U.S. visit in nearly 30 years to focus on energy policy to an OPEC member country, as the U.S. conducts its first on-site assessment of the oil industry it aims to help rebuild, in Caracas, Venezuela, February 11, 2026.
Leonardo Fernández Viloria | Reuters
“I found out about this post,” Levitt said. “I have not had the opportunity to speak directly with the Secretary of Energy about this matter.”
“But I do know that the post was quickly deleted,” she said.
“The U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring that oil continued to flow to global markets,” Wright wrote.
Levitt said the Navy’s ability to escort tankers through the strait remains an “option” and that President Donald Trump “has said we will definitely use it at the appropriate time if needed.”
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important chokepoint for oil transportation in the world.
“The video clip was determined to have been erroneously subtitled by Department of Energy staff and has been removed from Secretary Wright’s official X account,” a Department of Energy spokesperson said in a statement late Tuesday.
“President Trump, Secretary Wright, and the rest of the president’s energy team are closely monitoring the situation and consulting with industry leaders to develop additional options for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, including the possibility of the U.S. Navy escorting the tanker,” the spokesperson said.
