Maersk has announced that one of the ships that traveled through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. escort on Monday was its U.S.-flagged roll-on/roll-off vessel, Alliance Fairfax. This marks a significant test of the U.S....
Maersk has announced that one of the ships that traveled through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. escort on Monday was its U.S.-flagged roll-on/roll-off vessel, Alliance Fairfax. This marks a significant test of the U.S. efforts to reopen the waterway.
In a statement, A.P. Moller–Maersk confirmed that the ship, operated by Farrell Lines (a Maersk subsidiary), successfully left the Persian Gulf on May 4 “with U.S. military protection,” completing its journey “without incident” and all crew members safe.
The vessel had been effectively stuck in the Gulf since late February due to rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which led to increased threats from missiles, drones, and mines that disrupted shipping in the area.
“MLL was contacted by the U.S. military and offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under military protection,” Maersk stated. “After developing and coordinating a security plan with the U.S. military, MLL’s leadership onshore and onboard approved the transit. The vessel then exited the Persian Gulf with the help of U.S. military assets.”
This announcement supports earlier claims from the U.S. Central Command that two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully passed through the strait as part of the Trump administration’s “Project Freedom” aimed at assisting trapped ships. The identity of the second vessel has not yet been revealed.
“Maersk thanks the U.S. military for their professionalism and effective coordination that made this operation possible, and we look forward to the ALLIANCE FAIRFAX returning to its regular commercial service,” the company added.
The ALLIANCE FAIRFAX was one of five U.S.-flagged ships known to be in the Persian Gulf when the conflict began. All of these vessels are part of either the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) or the Tanker Security Program (TSP), which are U.S. government-supported initiatives designed to ensure a fleet of commercial ships is available for military logistics in times of crisis.
Introduction of Project Freedom
President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom on Sunday, describing it as a humanitarian mission to help "neutral and innocent" ships stuck in the strait due to escalating conflict.
“Countries from around the world… have asked the U.S. if we could help free their ships,” Trump stated, noting that many vessels are running low on food and other essential supplies.
Despite renewed efforts to reopen the Strait, shipping groups have warned that the overall risk situation remains largely unchanged.
Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer at BIMCO, commented that there are still no formal guidelines or information provided to the shipping industry about “Project Freedom,” leading to questions about how the operation would work beyond isolated escorts.
“Without Iran’s consent for commercial vessels to safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it’s unclear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be reduced or managed,” Larsen explained.
He added that Iran’s warnings against uncoordinated transits increase the risk of renewed hostility if vessels attempt to pass under the U.S.-led initiative. “Given the Iranian threats against any ship trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iran’s military, there is a risk of renewed hostilities if ‘Project Freedom’ proceeds,” he remarked.
Incident with HMM Namu Highlights Concerns
These developments follow an incident involving a South Korean-operated cargo ship, which reported an explosion and fire while crossing the Strait. This reinforces the persistent risks faced by commercial shipping.
The South Korean government is investigating whether the incident aboard the Panama-flagged HMM Namu was an attack. No casualties were reported, and the cause of the engine room fire is still unknown.
This incident is likely to heighten industry concerns that conditions in the Strait remain too dangerous for a broader return of commercial traffic, despite the recent successful U.S. transits.