There’s a bunch of orgs fact-checking this and every one I’ve read calls it a lie. Here’s a possible reason the so-called story broke:
The stakes are not purely political. Brent crude surged past $120 (£88.73) a barrel after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on 4 March, an event the International Energy Agency has called the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market. US petrol prices hit $4 (£2.96) a gallon by 31 March, and jet fuel costs more than doubled.
After the Islamabad peace talks between US and Iranian officials collapsed after roughly 21 hours, Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait. By 16 April, Caine confirmed 13 vessels had been turned around, and the operation had been extended into the Pacific to target ships suspected of carrying Iranian cargo.
Johnson himself argued that Trump’s public messaging on the war has been geared toward moving markets rather than stating facts, citing reporting that traders earned more than $1 billion (£739 million) on suspiciously timed positions during the conflict.
There’s a bunch of orgs fact-checking this and every one I’ve read calls it a lie. Here’s a possible reason the so-called story broke:
https://www.ibtimes.com/fact-check-truth-behind-viral-claim-that-general-dan-caine-blocked-trumps-nuclear-codes-3801579