Ships stranded in Persian Gulf quietly coordinate with U.S. Navy to exit Hormuz

Key points

• Nearly 40 ships previously stranded in the Persian Gulf have exited through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three weeks as vessels quietly coordinate with the U.S. Navy, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.
• Some shipowners are submitting their transit plans to the Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping group in Bahrain, said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd's List, in a briefing Thursday.
• The assumption is that the U.S. Navy is providing limited assurances that it will intercept incoming threats against commercial ships, Meade said.
• "Transit decisions remain solely with ship operators," Meade said.
• "Industry operators tell us that they are not being centrally coordinated." U.S. forces are not escorting commercial ships through Hormuz, a defense official told CNBC.