Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, a U.S.-flagged vehicle carrier operated by its Farrell Lines subsidiary, exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz accompanied by U.S. military assets on Monday.
American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said on the social media site X on Monday.
"As a first step, 2 U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz," Centcom said Monday on X, adding that U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are operating in the Gulf under a directive called "Project Freedom."
The Alliance Fairfax is part of the U.S. Maritime Security Program, which provides financial stipends to dozens of U.S.-flagged, private commercial vessels that guarantee transport for the U.S. military during a war or national emergency.
Maersk said the transit of the Alliance Fairfax was completed without incident and that all crew were safe and unharmed.
The Alliance Fairfax was among hundreds of ships stranded in the Gulf with the virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March.
At least one other U.S.-flagged vessel remains in the Gulf area.
SOUTH KOREAN VESSEL ABLAZE
Seoul said a South Korean-operated ship had an explosion and fire on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident which U.S. President Donald Trump said was caused by an Iranian attack.
The South Korean foreign ministry said a fire and an explosion occurred on the vessel operated by South Korean shipper HMM. It added that no casualties were reported and authorities were investigating what caused the blaze.
Trump said Iran fired shots at the South Korean cargo ship and some other targets as the U.S. launched an operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. He urged South Korea to join that effort.
The fire broke out in the engine room of the Panama-flagged cargo ship, where 24 crew members, including six Korean nationals, were on board, a HMM spokesperson told Reuters, adding that the cause of the fire was not clear at the moment.
A handful of commercial vessels were reported to have been hit and a UAE oil port was ablaze after an Iranian strike as Trump's attempt to use the U.S. Navy to free up shipping provoked the war's biggest escalation since a ceasefire was declared four weeks ago.
"Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait," Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The South Korean government was checking intelligence that the vessel, HMM Namu, may have been attacked, Yonhap News reported, citing government officials.
"Our government will communicate closely with relevant countries regarding this matter and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of our vessels and crew members inside the Strait of Hormuz," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Seoul has said 26 South Korean-flagged vessels were stranded there.
PASSAGE OF SANCTIONED TANKER
Maritime security company Windward has identified a sanctioned Iranian tanker actively transiting the Strait in apparent violation of the operation's stated criteria.
The vessel, NOOH GAS (IMO 9034690), is currently eastbound through Hormuz. The ship is OFAC-sanctioned under the Iran program and according to Windward’s data, is a designated Dark Fleet vessel of interest with 18 name changes and 13 dark activity events since June 2025.
The vessel is operated by a UAE-based front company and is routing south of Larak Island, a documented evasion pattern used by sanctioned tankers to avoid U.S. interdiction.
BIMCO CAUTIOUS
Jakob Larsen, BIMCO's Chief Safety & Security Officer, remains cautious about Project Freedom because:
• No formalised details or guidance to the shipping industry regarding “Project Freedom” have been announced at this point.
• 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.
• 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.
• It is unclear whether “Project Freedom” is sustainable in the longer run or whether it will be a limited operation to get some of the trapped ships out.
• 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.
(Reuters and staff)
