A US Central Command (Centcom) spokesperson told Al-Jazeera that it has assisted over 1,000 ships in crossing the Strait of Hormuz since early May. They added Centcom remained on high alert and ready to support commercial ships wanting to cross.

President Donald Trump had launched "Operation Project Freedom" on 4 May to escort merchant ships out of the Gulf, though the project was abandonned two days later amid negotiation efforts. 

Before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, around 20 percent of the global oil and liquified natural gas supply transited through the waterway.