Pentagon Denies Restarting US Naval Escorts Through Strait of Hormuz

The denial came amid speculation that the U.S. military was reviving ‘Project Freedom’ to unblock shipping through the maritime choke point.

U.S. forces patrol the Arabian Sea near the Strait of Hormuz, on April 20, 2026. U.S. Navy via Getty Images

The Pentagon on May 26 denied reports that the United States had resumed naval escorts for commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, amid an uptick in regional tensions following a series of fresh American strikes on Iranian targets in what the U.S. military said was an act of self-defense.

“Recent media reporting claims that the U.S. Navy has restarted escorting or assisting commercial vessels during transits through the Strait of Hormuz. FALSE,” U.S. Central Command said in a May 26 post on X, after the Iranian military claimed earlier on Tuesday that it had downed a U.S. military drone and fired shots at an F-35 fighter jet.