Trump Announces U.S. Navy Will Escort Oil Tankers Through Strait of Hormuz

President Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy would begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as possible," as Iranian threats have disrupted commercial shipping and driven gas prices to a national average of $3.11 per gallon. The administration also offered political risk insurance through the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to help stabilize energy costs, mirroring the structure of Operation Prosperity Guardian, which deployed guided-missile destroyers to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks in 2023. Trump provided no specifics on which Navy assets would be deployed or the exact timeline, while The War Zone noted the plan would put U.S. surface combatants in a heavily armed and contested maritime zone.