As U.S. warships launched the escort operation "Project Freedom" on the 4th (local time) to protect civilian merchant ships, a cargo ship belonging to Danish private shipping company Maersk safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz. It is the first official confirmation of a vessel exiting the strait under U.S. support on the first day of the operation. With the strait blocked by the war between Israel and Iran, attention is focused on whether the hundreds of merchant ships stuck and unable to move in the Gulf can use the sea route again.
According to a compilation of reports from major outlets including Reuters and Bloomberg on the 5th, Maersk said that the car carrier Alliance Fairfax, operated by its U.S. subsidiary Farrell Lines, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 4th with U.S. military support. Maersk, through a Spokesperson that day, thanked the U.S. military for making the operation possible and said, "The vessel exited the strait safely without any incident, and all crew on board are safe." Maersk added that the U.S. military reached out first, proposing the opportunity by asking whether the company would leave the Gulf if the military provided protection.
Maersk acquired Farrell Lines, headquartered in Virginia, in 2007. Reuters reported that the Alliance Fairfax, whose passage became known this time, is part of the U.S. Maritime Security Program, under which the government provides funding in return for guaranteeing U.S. military sealift during war or national emergencies.
U.S. Central Command also said on the social media platform X that the U.S. military is actively assisting efforts to normalize commercial shipping operations. Central Command said, "Two U.S.-flagged merchant ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz as a first step," adding, "U.S. destroyers are conducting operations in the Gulf under guidance called Project Freedom." Details about which corporations the other safely transiting vessel belongs to and its name have not yet been specifically disclosed.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime corridor for the global economy, carrying 20% of the world's oil shipments. But in early March, as war broke out between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, it was effectively shut down. As a result, to this day—more than two months since the war began—hundreds of merchant ships remain trapped in the Gulf without a way out. While expectations are rising that civilian transit will resume as the U.S. deploys warships to secure the sea lane, the possibility of clashes between the sides cannot be ruled out, and military tensions are expected to continue for the time being.