Maersk Ship Exits Hormuz Under U.S. Protection

Maersk has confirmed that one of the vessels involved in Monday’s U.S.-escorted transits of the Strait of Hormuz was its U.S.-flagged roll-on/roll-off ship Alliance Fairfax, marking one of the clearest tests so far of Washington’s effort to reopen the waterway.

In a statement, A.P. Moller–Maersk said the vessel—operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk Line Limited—successfully exited the Persian Gulf on May 4 “under U.S. military protection,” completing the transit “without incident” with all crew safe.

The ship had been effectively stranded in the Gulf since the outbreak of conflict between the United States and Iran in late February, when shipping through the strait largely collapsed amid missile, drone, and mine threats. 

“MLL was contacted by the U.S. military and offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under U.S. military protection,” Maersk said in a statement to gCaptain. “Following the development and coordination of a comprehensive security plan with the U.S. military, MLL’s shore side and shipboard leadership approved the transit. The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by U.S. military assets.”

The confirmation aligns with earlier U.S. Central Command claims that two American-flagged merchant vessels had transited the strait as part of the Trump administration’s “Project Freedom” effort to guide stranded ships out of the Gulf. The identification of the second vessel is not yet known.

“Maersk extends its gratitude to the U.S. military for its professionalism and effective coordination in making this operation possible, and the company looks forward to the ALLIANCE FAIRFAX returning to its normal commercial service,” Maersk added.

The ALLIANCE FAIRFAX was among five U.S.-flagged ships known to be in the Persian Gulf when the conflict began. All of the vessels are enrolled in either the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) or the Tanker Security Program (TSP)–two critical U.S. government-backed initiatives designed to ensure a ready fleet of commercially operated vessels available for military logistics in times of crisis.

Project Freedom Launched

President Donald Trump announced the initiative, dubbed Project Freedom, on Sunday, framing it as a humanitarian mission to assist “neutral and innocent” ships trapped in the strait amid months of escalating conflict.

“Countries from all over the world… have asked the United States if we could help free up their ships,” Trump said, adding that many vessels are running low on food and essential supplies. 

Despite the renewed pressure to reopen the Strait, shipping groups warning that the broader risk picture remains largely unchanged.

Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer at BIMCO, said there are still no formal details or guidance available to the wider shipping industry regarding “Project Freedom,” raising questions about how the operation would function beyond isolated escorted transits.

“Without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed,” Larsen said.

He added that Iran’s warnings against uncoordinated transits raise the risk of renewed hostilities if vessels attempt to pass under the U.S.-led initiative. “In view of the Iranian threats against any ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iran’s military, there is a risk of hostilities breaking out again if ‘Project Freedom’ goes ahead,” he said.

Larsen also questioned whether the effort can be sustained, suggesting it may ultimately amount to a limited operation aimed at extracting a small number of stranded vessels rather than restoring normal traffic flows. “The overall security situation for the shipping industry is currently unchanged, and our advice is for all shipowners to continue carrying out thorough risk assessments,” he added.

HMM Namu Attack Raises Caution

The latest developments come as a South Korean-operated cargo ship reported an explosion and fire while transiting the Strait, underscoring the continued risks facing commercial shipping.

South Korea’s government said it was investigating whether the incident, reported aboard the Panama-flagged vessel HMM Namu, was the result of an attack. No casualties were reported, and the cause of the engine room fire remains unconfirmed.

The incident is likely to reinforce industry concerns that conditions in the Strait remain too dangerous for a broader return of commercial traffic, despite the successful U.S. transits.

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