Denmark's Maersk reported its ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. protection

Danish shipping giant Maersk said one of its commercial vessels successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz on May 4 under the protection of the U.S. military, CNBC writes.

The US-flagged vessel Alliance Fairfax, operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk Line Limited, has completed the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz without incident, the company said; all crew members are safe and unharmed. Maersk did not specify what exactly the vessel was carrying.

According to a Farrell Lines spokesperson, the company "has been approached by the U.S. military with an offer to ensure the vessel leaves the Persian Gulf under their protection," Bloomberg reports.

The ship has been in the Persian Gulf in a forced wait since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on Feb. 28, Maersk said. The Alliance Fairfax is part of the U.S. Maritime Security Program, under which dozens of private U.S.-flagged commercial vessels receive U.S. government subsidies in exchange for a commitment to provide transportation for the military in the event of war or emergency, Reuters explained.

Earlier, Ma 4, the US Central Command reported on social network X that two US-flagged merchant ships had successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The military also noted that US Navy destroyers with guided missile weapons are currently operating in the Middle East region as part of Project Freedom, which was initiated by US President Donald Trump. The Project Freedom in question, according to Trump, is aimed at freeing ships stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC writes. Iran, reacting to the idea, said it would perceive any interference by the US military in the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as a violation of the ceasefire.

Against this background, on May 4, the UAE announced the bombardment by Iran - the Emirates' oil port of Fujairah was hit in particular, and the UAE intercepted several more Iranian missiles. After that, on Ma. 5, the U.S. and Iran exchanged strikes in the Persian Gulf, while the U.S., according to the U.S. military, repelled attacks by Iranian drones, missiles and small armed boats, ensuring the passage of two U.S.-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Alliance Fairfax vessel was among hundreds of vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf after the actual closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March. At least one more U.S.-flagged vessel still remains in the Persian Gulf region, Reuters reports.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor