By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – There is no clear evidence that Iran has placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a news briefing on Friday.
The assessment by Hegseth contrasts with news reports earlier this week suggesting Iran had deployed about a dozen mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil.
Asked about the possibility of mines in the Strait, Hegseth said: “We’ve heard them talk about it just like you’ve reported recklessly and wildly about it. But … we have no clear evidence of that.”Hegseth’s comments come as the United States and other countries face spiking oil and gas prices with the U.S-Israel war entering its 14th day, with oil prices hovering near $100 a barrel on Friday.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Susan Heavey and David Ljunggren; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis and Caitlin Webber)
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