Ten ships transit Strait of Hormuz after US announces ship escort plan: CAS

Ten ships used the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 after the US military announced "Operation Project Freedom" to guide ships through the critical passageway that has been essentially blocked by Iran for weeks, S&P Global Commodities at Sea said in a May 5 report.

The traffic, up from nine ships May 3, consisted of four landing craft, one cable layer, two Iran-linked general cargo ships, one limestone carrier, one China-owned container ship, and a US-sanctioned Iran Handy gas carrier, CAS said.

The Nooh Gas LPG tanker, sanctioned by the US, was among the seven ships that exited the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, CAS said.

The US started its Operation Project Freedom on May 4, with US Central Command reporting on X that two US-flagged ships were escorted through the strait by US forces.

A.P. Moller-Maersk said in a statement that the Alliance Fairfax, one of the US-flagged car carriers in its group fleet, left the Persian Gulf through Hormuz under the assistance of the US on May 4. The ship was operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk's US unit, Maersk Line, Ltd., which has participated in the US government's Maritime Security Program to support Washington's logistics operations, the statement said. Maersk added that it was contacted by the US military with an offer to escort the vessel out of the Gulf "under US military protection."

The Alliance Fairfax was previously seen Feb. 28 off Abu Dhabi, CAS said. Four other US-flagged ships were west of the Strait of Hormuz when the war started on Feb. 28, and none of them has been seen since, CAS said. The ships were the Apl Eager, Maersk Yortown, CS Anthem and CS Imperative, CAS said.

On May 4, the US reported destroying several small Iranian boats that threatened ships in the area while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had fired shots at US warships and threatened to attack any ships crossing the strait without Iran's permission, CAS said.

The Strait of Hormuz remains contested, with Iran issuing a new map asserting control over a corridor delineated by two maritime lines from the southern Iranian coast near Kooh Mobarak eastward to Fujairah, and another from the tip of Iran's Qeshm Island southwest to the UAE emirate of Umm Al Quwain, CAS said.

The US Naval Forces Central Command advised ships to consider routing via Oman territorial waters in coordination with Oman authorities, CAS said, adding that the Navy warned about the possibility of mines.

Thirty-three ships crossed the US naval blockade line on May 4, with 16 of them in the inbound direction and 17 outbound, CAS said. The inbound crossings included one US-sanctioned bulk carrier, while three non-compliant vessels managed to exit the blockade line, CAS said.

The US-sanctioned Iranian container ship Kashan was turned back at about 1740 GMT on May 4 after attempting to cross outbound through the US blockade line, CAS said. It had been in anchorage off Bandar Abbas, Iran, before exiting the Strait of Hormuz on April 14. It was last seen at anchor off Chabahar, Iran, as of May 5, according to CAS.