ISTANBUL 

Iran denied Tuesday claims by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright that an American oil tanker was escorted by the US military through the Strait of Hormuz.

“No American ship will dare approach the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf, or the Strait of Hormuz during the war,” Revolutionary Guards spokesman Sardar Naini said in statements carried by the public broadcaster IRIB.

Naini said Iran would halt any movement by the US fleet and its allies during Iran’s missile operations.

Wright earlier claimed on US social media company that the Navy “successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.”

The energy secretary’s post said President Donald Trump was “maintaining stability of global energy during the military operations against Iran,” and that the navy had ensured oil continued flowing to global markets.

The post, however, was later deleted without an explanation.

The Strait of Hormuz has been at the center of energy market concerns since Iran announced its closure to transit amid US-Israeli attacks against Iran on Feb. 28.

Around 20 million barrels of oil pass through the waterway daily, and its disruption has pushed up oil prices.

Regional escalation has flared when the US and Israel launched a joint attack against Iran, killing more than 1,200 people and injuring 10,000 others since Feb. 28.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.