On May 26 (local time), according to The Wall Street Journal, the US Navy is secretly supporting commercial ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz - a strategic shipping route that plays an important role in global energy transportation.
However, the Wall Street Journal later clarified that this support activity did not mean that the US would restore the military escort operation "Project Freedom" announced earlier.
A spokesman for the US Central Command (CENTCOM) also confirmed that Washington has not yet resumed this program. The "Freedom Project" (Project Freedom) was announced by US President Donald Trump earlier this month with the aim of ensuring maritime security in the region, but the program was suspended after only about 48 hours of implementation.
According to reports, a super-large Greek oil tanker transporting about 2 million barrels of crude oil was supported by the US Navy when passing through waters off Oman belonging to the shipping line leading to the Strait of Hormuz.
Information said that this ship had previously been trapped in the Persian Gulf area since the beginning of March and is currently on its way to India for delivery.
In addition to the above case, the US Navy is said to have plans to support about 12 other ships in the coming days. This list includes large oil tankers and container ships operating in the area.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most important strategic transport routes in the world, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. A large amount of global crude oil and gas is transported through this area every day, causing any fluctuations here to directly affect the world energy market.
The new move by the US takes place in the context of the Middle East region continuing to experience many complex developments related to maritime security. Recent tensions between Washington and Tehran have also made transportation activities in the Strait of Hormuz continue to be closely monitored due to concerns about the risk of disruption of this important energy transport route.
