# Two U.S. flagged merchant vessel sailed out of the Persian Gulf **URL:** \ **Category:** Maritime News\ **Created:** [May 4, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383 "2026-05-04T15:47:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/1 "2026-05-04T15:47:23Z")
[U.S. says 2 ships crossed Hormuz, Iran threatens “force” if more try it](https://www.axios.com/2026/05/04/strait-hormuz-us-merchant-ships-cross) > Two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels sailed out of the Gulf through the [Strait of Hormuz](https://www.axios.com/2026/05/04/strait-hormuz-closure-unthinkable-scenarios) on Monday with the assistance of the U.S. Navy, CENTCOM said in a statement. > **[U.S. Escorts First US-Flagged Ships Through Hormuz as Iran Warns of Attack](https://gcaptain.com/u-s-escorts-first-us-flagged-ships-through-hormuz-as-iran-warns-of-attack/)** > >  The U.S. military said two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and that two U.S. merchant ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it had prevented a U.S. warship entering the Gulf. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/2 "2026-05-04T19:40:55Z")
When the last 3 US-flag ships stuck in the Persian gulf are out, what happens next? There are still a lot of ships, flying different flags, manned by crews from all over the world, stuck inside and outside the Strait of Hormuz. Will they be able to take the same route, under protection of the US military might? PS:Several large cruise ships used that same excape route a few ago weeks with no major problems. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/3 "2026-05-04T22:27:16Z")
> **[Maersk Ship Exits Hormuz Under U.S. Protection](https://gcaptain.com/maersk-ship-exits-hormuz-under-u-s-protection/)** > > Maersk has confirmed that one of the vessels involved in Monday’s U.S.-escorted transits of the Strait of Hormuz was its U.S.-flagged roll-on/roll-off ship Alliance Fairfax, marking one of the clearest tests... “ > MLL was contacted by the U.S. military and offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under U.S. military protection,” Maersk said in a statement to gCaptain. “Following the development and coordination of a comprehensive security plan with the U.S. military, MLL’s shore side and shipboard leadership approved the transit. The vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by U.S. military assets.” > The identification of the second vessel is not yet known. ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/4 "2026-05-05T09:59:05Z")
Good article on the overall situation in the area: > **[LIVE WIRE | Project Freedom Turns Hormuz Into Armed Extraction Zone as...](https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/05/05/live-wire-project-freedom-turns-hormuz-into-armed-extraction-zone-as-seven-boat-claim-and-fujairah-strike-widen-gulf-risk-may-5-2026/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social)** > > Project Freedom opens the first escorted Hormuz exit, but commercial transit remains unstable after small-boat engagement claims, the ADNOC Barakah strike, and elevated Fujairah exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Binbag\_the\_Saylore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Binbag\_the\_Saylore](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Binbag_the_Saylore)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/5 "2026-05-05T13:08:39Z")
Meanwhile, for all the rest - from The Economist today… “_Seafarers see the war as only the latest of many recent hardships. Their profession has always been difficult and dangerous; occupational hazards still include attacks by pirates near the Horn of Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea. But things got particularly tough during the pandemic, when governments prevented mariners from setting foot on shore and blocked crews from relieving them._” ![Econ 2026-05-05](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/5/9/5904d76a6962cb8faf5eb2bc6dae23ed9e464df0.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/6 "2026-05-05T13:49:38Z")
> **[US protection plan fails to calm Hormuz nerves - Splash247](https://splash247.com/us-protection-plan-fails-to-calm-hormuz-nerves/)** > > Twenty-four hours into the Trump administration’s Project Freedom operation to guide stranded vessels out of the Persian Gulf, shipowners remain deeply cautious – and Iran’s actions on the ground are doing little to encourage confidence. On the very... > [@](#): > > Commenting on the situation, BIMCO’s chief safety and security officer Jakob Larsen said: “Without consent from Iran to let commercial ships transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz, it is currently not clear whether the Iranian threat to ships can be degraded or suppressed.” > > Larsen noted that no formalised guidance on Project Freedom had yet been issued to the shipping industry, leaving owners to navigate the situation largely blind. “In view of the Iranian threats against any ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with Iran’s military, there is a risk of hostilities breaking out again if Project Freedom goes ahead,” he warned, adding that **it remains unclear whether the operation is sustainable over time or is intended only as a limited measure to extract some of the most pressured vessels.** Question: Does “most pressured vessels” mean “only US-flag and affiliated vessels”? ---
**Author:** ![Raghu\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/raghu_sharma/32/71148_2.png) [@Raghu\_Sharma](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Raghu_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/7 "2026-05-05T13:54:18Z")
Thank you for sharing it here. I wrote the piece for DeepDraft with the operational side in mind: what this means for ships, routing decisions, compliance exposure and those managing the situation at sea. Good to see the discussion here. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/8 "2026-05-05T19:51:02Z")
The Alliance Fairfax is actually Norwegian owned, but managed by MLL: # Maersk unit says US-flag car carrier escapes Hormuz under US escort Hoegh Autoliners-owned ship had been trapped since February. Source: [https://www.tradewindsnews.com/ship-management/maersk-line-says-us-flagged-car-carrier-escapes-hormuz-under-us-escort/2-1-1984830](https://www.tradewindsnews.com/ship-management/maersk-line-says-us-flagged-car-carrier-escapes-hormuz-under-us-escort/2-1-1984830) > **[BalticShipping.com](https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9303546)** ---
**Author:** ![Kennebec\_Captain](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/kennebec_captain/32/13_2.png) [@Kennebec\_Captain](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Kennebec_Captain)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/9 "2026-05-06T10:16:37Z")
> **[Crowley Confirms US-Flagged CS Anthem Safely Transited Strait of Hormuz](https://gcaptain.com/crowley-confirms-us-flagged-cs-anthem-safely-transited-strait-of-hormuz/)** > > Crowley has confirmed that one of its managed vessels has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, providing more visibility into the limited number of U.S.-flagged ships that have exited the... > The _CS Anthem_ is now one of two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels confirmed to have transited the waterway… > The _CS Anthem_ , a 49,990-metric-ton medium-range tanker, is crewed and managed by Crowley under a bareboat charter arrangement and operates within the Tanker Security Program, replacing the _Stena Immaculate_ following its 2025 collision. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 1:39pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/10 "2026-05-06T13:39:07Z")
> [@Kennebec\_Captain](#): > > CS Anthem Another foreign owned vessel: > [@](#): > > **Scorpio Tankers has reached a deal this month to bareboat charter-out the MR product tanker _STI Bosphorus._ The vessel will be chartered to a third-party joint venture which will re-flag the vessel to the United States in order for it to participate in the U.S. Government’s Tanker Security Program (TSP).** Source: [https://shippingtelegraph.com/tankers/scorpio-tankers-seals-12-year-bareboat-mr-deal-for-us-gov-tanker-security-program/](https://shippingtelegraph.com/tankers/scorpio-tankers-seals-12-year-bareboat-mr-deal-for-us-gov-tanker-security-program/) ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/12 "2026-05-08T14:25:44Z")
MV Alliance Fairfax in better days: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/0/d/0d6f99191065a7ac28b68aea72e25371a34c6c2e.jpeg) > **[Officers from Nautilus Federation affiliate on first US-flagged vessels to...](https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-insight/news/hormuz-exit-for-us-flagged-vessel-and-mmp-crew/)** > > A vessel crewed by deck officers from Nautilus Federation affiliated union the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots (MM&P) has become one of the two first US-flagged vessels to exit the Persian Gulf since the start of the conflict... ---
**Author:** ![ShooterMcGavin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/shootermcgavin/32/1756_2.png) [@ShooterMcGavin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ShooterMcGavin)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/13 "2026-05-08T16:29:43Z")
Ahh good ole’ Don “ran unopposed” Josberger comes running along _just_ in time to provide boilerplate commentary used in every email he sends to members (when members can even get him to respond.) From what I hear, he didn’t reply to a single email from members stuck out there. Not even to check in on them.. par for the course considering how we heard leadership handled the Detroit/Chesapeake attacks in '24. The Facebook “like” incident is infamous. ---
**Author:** ![Eterrible3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/eterrible3/32/62615_2.png) [@Eterrible3](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Eterrible3)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/14 "2026-05-15T01:51:44Z")
I’ve only had a few interactions with Don since I mostly sail the West Coast these days and usually only see him at MITAGS. But if members really were reaching out and getting no response while stuck out there, that’s definitely not a good look. These are rough times in the union for applicants and C books. Jobs aren’t like the COVID days when work was everywhere, and there’s a lot more uncertainty in the industry right now with everything going on politically around the Jones Act and shipping in general. Hopefully he can steady the ship moving forward. With OSG and ATC already coming in, that should at least provide a solid boost to union finances and some added stability. ---
**Author:** ![ShooterMcGavin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/shootermcgavin/32/1756_2.png) [@ShooterMcGavin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ShooterMcGavin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/15 "2026-05-15T15:05:27Z")
> [@Eterrible3](#): > > With OSG and ATC already coming in, that should at least provide a solid boost to union finances and some added stability. While that may be, the fact that they are bringing them in as A-Books and cutting off current applicants/members who have been putting in the time and effort pursuing them (and now will be waiting years longer) doesn’t make it seem like it was such a great idea. It seems impulse driven and like a knife in all their backs. Initially we were told they had to wait X number of years for the books (like what happened when MMP brought TECO in) but we’re already seeing shipping cards that say “OSG-A” on them, courtesy of dispatchers/administrators at the halls. They should be registered CE until they quit/resign from their permanent slots and folded into gen pop as APP. ---
**Author:** ![Eterrible3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/eterrible3/32/62615_2.png) [@Eterrible3](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Eterrible3)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/16 "2026-05-15T20:36:05Z")
I agree that giving them A-books right away was unfair. It took me six years to get mine, and I was fortunate enough to land a permanent job with a union company afterward. I can understand why a lot of C-books and applicants feel burned after putting in the time and effort, only to see the goalposts move. A lot of people have every right to be frustrated about it. At the same time, I also understand why the union made the decision. MITAGS has reportedly been bleeding money, and I’m not sure how healthy the overall union finances are either. Realistically, I think this was probably viewed as a compromise to get the OSG/ATC deal done. If MMP hadn’t offered A-books, there’s a good chance those groups never would’ve voted in. So in a way, it’s a double-edged sword. Hopefully it benefits the union long term. I’d also bet that at least half of the OSG/ATC people end up sailing off the board anyway. The bigger issue, in my opinion, is staffing tanker jobs with people who actually have Tankerman PIC and real cargo watch experience. Not many people graduate with that qualification, and it takes time to train a 22- or 23-year-old officer to confidently stand a commercial tanker cargo watch. If too many of those jobs end up permanently off the board without a solid rotation of experienced people coming up, you risk burning out chief mates and creating manning problems down the line. we’ll see how it plays out. ---
**Author:** ![ShooterMcGavin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/shootermcgavin/32/1756_2.png) [@ShooterMcGavin](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ShooterMcGavin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/two-u-s-flagged-merchant-vessel-sailed-out-of-the-persian-gulf/75383/17 "2026-05-15T21:06:09Z")
> [@Eterrible3](#): > > If MMP hadn’t offered A-books, there’s a good chance those groups never would’ve voted in. Company Employee would have been more than adequate. Keep your permanent job and in time as lower book members and applicants move up or out you can bump them up, as was done with the TECO crowd. They have permanent jobs — they should be grateful they don’t have to sit in the hall. A permanent employee on a tanker making good money walking into the hall just because he’s bored and wants a change of scenery and to try out his A-Book, then beating out a kid looking at off the board work who has been living that OTB life for years is just sickening. It’s a tar baby our already abysmal leadership coast to coast won’t easily live down. Hoping the OSG/ATC guys just stay put…