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US Guides Dark-Route Ships Near Oman as Rates Surge 75%

6/4/2026

35 6 Full Breakdown

Left

U.S. Forces Navigate

U.S. forces are steering a limited fleet of commercial ships through a covert “dark” route near Oman, a triage-style operation.
Dozens of vessels with AIS off are sailing close to Oman’s coast while U.S. forces provide mine-hunting support.
War-risk insurance rose to about 4 % of a ship’s value for a seven-day policy.
June freight rates are expected 75 % higher from China to the U.S. East Coast.

Right

Trump Stops Escort

President Donald Trump stopped the public ‘Project Freedom’ escort, prompting the U.S. military to shift to covert vessel guidance.
U.S. forces are now quietly steering AIS-off commercial ships along Oman’s coast with mine-hunting support.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, under U.S. sanctions, has 300 vessels applying for toll-free passage.
Marco Rubio told lawmakers U.S. forces shot down Iranian drones and struck Iranian control sites.

History

Historical Context

In July 1987 the United Nations adopted Resolution 598, prompting the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet to launch Operation Earnest Will—reflagging Kuwaiti tankers and escorting them with thirteen warships through the Iran-Iraq “Tanker War.” The convoy drove war-risk premiums to $1.5 billion, a 300 % rise. Today the Persian Gulf Strait Authority still fields hundreds of toll-free passage requests as U.S. forces monitor Iranian drone activity.

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U.S. Forces Navigate

U.S. forces are steering a limited fleet of commercial ships through a covert “dark” route near Oman, a triage-style operation.
Dozens of vessels with AIS off are sailing close to Oman’s coast while U.S. forces provide mine-hunting support.
War-risk insurance rose to about 4 % of a ship’s value for a seven-day policy.
June freight rates are expected 75 % higher from China to the U.S. East Coast.

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