Ships stranded in Persian Gulf quietly coordinate with U.S. Navy to exit Hormuz Approximately 40 ships previously stranded in the Persian Gulf have exited through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three weeks by quietly coordinating with the U.S. Navy. Shipowners are submitting transit plans to a U.S. Navy group in Bahrain, operating under the assumption that the Navy will intercept threats to commercial ships. While U.S. forces are not escorting vessels, they are communicating and coordinating with ships seeking safe passage, though overall transits remain below prewar levels.

• Nearly 40 stranded ships in the Persian Gulf have exited through the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.
• Vessels are quietly coordinating transit plans with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping group in Bahrain.
• Shipowners assume the U.S. Navy provides assurances to intercept threats against commercial ships.
• U.S. forces are not escorting ships but are communicating and coordinating with those seeking safe passage.
• Ship transits through Hormuz remain significantly below prewar levels.
• Previous U.S. Navy mission ‘Project Freedom’ to escort ships was abruptly shut down in May.
• Ships in the gulf risk attack by Iranian forces or U.S. sanctions if they cooperate with Iran.
• Recent clashes between U.S. and Iranian forces in the Hormuz region briefly spiked oil prices.
• Clashes involved Iranian drones and U.S. self-defense strikes, followed by Iranian ballistic missile launches towards Kuwait and Bahrain.