Middle East — 2026-06-02

US Navy Secretly Escorts 70 Commercial Ships Through Blockaded Strait of Hormuz as Iran Peace Deal Stalls

BLUFIran's walkout from talks removes the last diplomatic brake on IRGC strait operations, making interdiction of a commercial vessel before July 2 very likely.

The New York Times reported Sunday, citing unnamed officials, that CENTCOM has coordinated passage of roughly 70 commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three weeks, with most ships running transponders off along a route near the Omani coast 12. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed to Stars and Stripes that a transit pathway exists, established through destroyer transits in April and two US-flagged commercial vessels in May, but characterized the support as communications and coordination only, not dedicated military escorts; the command had previously disputed Wall Street Journal reporting suggesting active escort operations 3. Iran on Monday suspended peace negotiations with the United States, citing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, and renewed threats to close the strait 34.

Analysis
Iran's suspension of talks Monday strips the primary diplomatic disincentive against IRGC action in the strait. With 29 serious attacks logged since late February, interdiction of at least one commercial vessel before July 2 is very likely. Moderate confidence reflects the documented attack tempo, tempered by indeterminacy over whether Tehran's next move is seizure or kinetic strike. CENTCOM's transit corridor, built through April destroyer transits and two US-flagged commercial passages in May, remains limited to communications and coordination only. Without dedicated escorts, dark-transiting vessels along the Omani coast remain exposed to Iranian maritime surveillance. The 70-ship figure rests on NYT anonymous sourcing with no independent verification; commercial operators may instead have self-routed on publicly available maritime guidance, with CENTCOM's role limited to passive monitoring. Escalation before July 2 would force the command to choose between dedicated escort and conceding corridor viability.

5 sources

US military secretly guiding ships through Strait of Hormuz – NYT - RT
US escorts about 70 ships through Strait of Hormuz in May - Azertac / GlobalSecurity
US military helps commercial ships transit Strait of Hormuz - Stars and Stripes
U.S. Navy Sneakily Guides 70 Ships Through Blockaded Strait of Hormuz As Iran Peace Deal Stalls - Marine Insight
U.S. Military Has Been Secretly Guiding Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz - The New York Times