As armed clashes between the United States and Iran continue, scuttling end-of-war talks and prompting the United States to reimpose a counter-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, global shipping companies are reportedly forgoing transits because they do not trust the U.S. plan to escort ships through the strait.
On the 15th, Reuters, citing multiple industry sources, reported that some shipping companies are reluctant to use the U.S. military–supported transit system for the Strait of Hormuz. Since June, the United States has reportedly been quietly assisting vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz by deploying aerial and maritime drones, helicopters, and other assets to keep energy exports from the Gulf region flowing.
An anonymous U.S. Ministry of National Defense official said that more than 100 ships directly coordinated with U.S. forces to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past seven days, and more than 300 passed through in the broader area.
U.S. escorts in the Strait of Hormuz have so far allowed a considerable volume of crude exports to continue. Last month, President Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that the U.S. military conducted a secret escort operation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, supplying more than 100 million barrels of oil to the world. Reuters assessed that U.S. support also helped blunt the impact of the largest-ever disruption in oil and gas supplies on international energy prices.
However, with the United States and Iran effectively scrapping their end-of-war understanding and resuming armed clashes, the industry now sees even transiting the strait along Oman's coast—once considered relatively safe—as difficult. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), led by the U.S. military, immediately raised last week's risk level for vessel operations in the Strait of Hormuz by one notch, from "Substantial" to "Severe," the tier just below the highest risk grade.
Recent incidents, including attacks by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on two very large crude carriers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have further amplified industry anxiety. Moreover, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), since July 7, five vessels linked to U.S.-supported routes were attacked in Omani waters. It was not confirmed whether all of these ships were using the U.S. escort system.
Torbjorn Soltvedt, senior Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft, said, "The fact that Iran may continue attacking ships along the Omani route means the shipping continuity measures presented by the Trump administration are unlikely to be effective."
Shipping companies are steadily abandoning transits. A shipping industry official said, "The United States appears unable to properly control the current situation," adding, "Considering crew safety and the deteriorating security environment, the company has decided to suspend operations in the Strait of Hormuz."
Another shipping industry official said, "The United States keeps saying the Strait of Hormuz is 'not closed' and remains available," adding, "This is causing anxiety and confusion among carriers. Each company has to assess the risks on its own, but the current situation is clearly not safe. If so, why keep saying it is 'open'?"
This runs counter to the Trump administration's claim that the Strait of Hormuz is safe as long as U.S. forces are present. White House Spokesperson Olivia Wales said, "Iran is firing on peaceful merchant ships and committing terrorist acts that kill innocent civilians, and the United States is responding forcefully." President Trump also said on social media that "the Strait of Hormuz is open to all ships except Iran's."
Meanwhile, Iran also hinted it could use Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels to blockade the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea. If realized, it would open a new front with the United States while putting both of the world's most important sea lanes at risk.