Maersk ro-ro first U.S.-flag ship to safely clear Strait of Hormuz

A Maersk vessel became the first U.S-flag ship to exit the Strait of Hormuz as American naval forces ensured the ro-ro carrier’s safe departure after months in the Persian Gulf.

Maersk confirmed the Alliance Fairfax was one of two U.S.-flag ships to transit the strait on Monday. The other ship has not yet been identified.

The voyage comes at a fraught time in the Iran conflict as the U.S. and Iran exchanged threats of heightened violence amid a fragile ceasefire. The British-based Maritime Trade Operations security monitor since Sunday reported three suspected attacks on merchant vessels in the region.

The Alliance Fairfax ro-ro carrier is operated by Farrell Lines, a subsidiary of Maersk Line Limited, the U.S.-flag unit of A.P. Moeller-Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) of Denmark. It is one of approximately 60 ships that comprise the Maritime Administration’s Maritime Security Program, for U.S. government defense sealift requirements.