WASHINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Navy is quietly assisting commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iran negotiations remain uncertain, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday, citing U.S. military officials.

A motorboat cruises along the shore off the town of Al Jeer on the Strait of Hormuz in the northern emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, with a tanker seen in the background, on Feb 25, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

The newspaper later clarified that the U.S. Navy's coordination with commercial ships did not represent a resumption of Project Freedom, a military escort operation announced by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month and paused within 48 hours.

A spokesman for the U.S. Central Command confirmed that Washington was not resuming Project Freedom.

A Greek supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil was guided by the U.S. Navy as it crossed the strategic waterway off the Omani coast, according to the WSJ report.

It added that the tanker had been stranded in the Gulf since early March and is now heading to India to deliver its cargo.

The U.S. Navy plans to assist about a dozen vessels, including supertankers and container ships, in transiting the waterway over the coming days, according to the report.