US Cuts Strait of Hormuz Escort Support Windows to Twice Daily on Rising Costs

The U.S. military has reduced the daily windows for escort support for merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz to two, the Financial Times reported, as a prolonged confrontation with Iran adds to military and financial strain.

The FT reported on September 12 that the U.S. Navy’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping, or NCAGS, recently told maritime officials it has limited recommended transit windows in the Strait of Hormuz to two a day since early September.

NCAGS said vessels do not have to pass through during those windows, but recommended doing so to receive the best support.

Since May, the U.S. military has provided air-defense support for merchant ships traveling along Oman’s coast south of the Strait of Hormuz. The step was intended to deter Iranian attacks and minimize disruption to oil shipments through the Gulf.

Maritime clashes between the U.S. and Iran have intensified recently. Iran said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on September 9, in what was reported to be the largest assault on commercial vessels since the war began. About 70 merchant ships have been attacked by Iran since February, the report said.

Experts say the latest step is intended to reduce the cost of maintaining continuous ship escorts. Joshua Tallis, a researcher at CNA, the Center for Naval Analyses, said advanced U.S. military aircraft cost $25,000 to $75,000 an hour to operate. He added that the move appears aimed at managing the expense of defending shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz over the long term.