The U.S. Navy will not provide military escorts to commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz for the time being, according to Reuters, as tensions in the region continue to rise.
The reported decision comes despite repeated requests from shipping and oil industry stakeholders, who have sought military protection for merchant vessels navigating one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.
According to the report, the Navy considers the current risk of attack too high to carry out escort operations in the strait.
American naval officials have nevertheless maintained regular briefings with representatives from the shipping and energy sectors as the regional security situation deteriorates.
Shipping executives meeting in Connecticut on Tuesday told FreightWaves that Iranian attacks in the area have left an estimated 10,000 crew members stranded aboard hundreds of vessels unable to leave the Persian Gulf.
The Strait of Hormuz, which serves as the maritime gateway to the oil-rich Gulf, has been largely inaccessible since the conflict in Iran intensified. Since then, 10 cargo vessels in the region have reportedly come under attack.
The contrast with previous crises is striking. In 2024 and 2025, U.S. and European Union naval forces escorted merchant ships through the Red Sea during the height of Houthi attacks. However, major global carriers later abandoned attempts to return to that route after renewed threats following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The latest decision signals just how serious the current Hormuz security environment has become for global shipping.
