US-led task force tells ships to reroute on 1st day of effort to reopen Strait of Hormuz

The United States kicks off an effort to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, as it tries to counter economic disruptions that outlasted the peak of fighting with no peace deal in sight.

A day after US President Donald Trump announced what he called “Project Freedom,” the Joint Maritime Information Center says that the US has set up an “enhanced security area” south of typical shipping routes and urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities “due to anticipated high traffic volume.”

The strait sits between Iranian and Omani territory.

The center warns that passing close to the usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, “should be considered extremely hazardous due to the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated.”

The US-led maritime task force’s announcement marks the start of the effort to revive traffic and restore confidence among commercial vessels transiting the strait. It risked unraveling the fragile ceasefire that has held even without progress on the issues that sparked the war.

It is unclear whether any vessels had accepted the US offer.