U.S. Military Guides Ships Through Contested Strait of Hormuz

The United States Central Command is providing naval overwatch and guidance to commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to maintain maritime traffic during a fragile ceasefire with Iran. Since an April 8 ceasefire, U.S. forces have tracked nearly 1,000 commercial ship transits, though this remains well below pre-war levels. To bypass lanes controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which charges tolls and attacks unauthorized ships, the U.S. Navy established an alternate route along the coast of Oman and advised ships to travel dark by disabling their transponders.

The current instability stems from a February 2026 conflict initiated by the U.S. and Israel, including a February 28 strike on major Iranian cities such as Tehran. Iran responded by closing the strait to ships associated with the U.S. and Israel and launching retaliatory strikes against military bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Tensions escalated again in June 2026. Iran launched drones and missiles at U.S. forces in Bahrain and Kuwait's international airport. In response, U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes against Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island. These efforts to restore commercial shipping are critical as global crude reserves are expected to reach dangerously low levels in the coming weeks.