U.S. Central Command has steered roughly 70 commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three weeks, according to an unnamed official. The vessels travelled without active transponders, a “dark” passage to avoid Iranian detection. Coordinated routes stay nearer Oman, keeping ships away from Iran’s coastline where missile threats loom, and maintain critical trade flows across the region.

Before the February U.S.-Israeli strikes, more than 100 ships a day used the waterway, so the current average of three daily passages represents a modest recovery. Shipowners favor the U.S.-guided lane to bypass Iranian permission fees and the risk of attacks, though analysts cannot verify exact numbers because transponders remain off, and preserve revenue for charterers in the near term.

Washington’s earlier Project Freedom operation briefly escorted two U.S.-flagged vessels before Saudi objections halted the mission. While the U.S. does not provide naval escorts now, it continues to communicate with captains, offering a safer alternative to the Iranian‑controlled route that carries about one‑fifth of global oil. The limited but steady flow eases pressure on stranded cargoes and keeps Gulf markets supplied for downstream users.