Image Credits: US Centcom Some shipping companies are avoiding a U.S. military-guided transit scheme through the Strait of Hormuz after a series of attacks on commercial vessels raised concerns over crew safety, according to seven maritime security and shipping industry sources. The move comes despite U.S. efforts to keep ships moving through one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Although the United States says the Strait of Hormuz remains open and commercial traffic is continuing, the recent attacks have made some shipowners reluctant to use the U.S.-guided route. Since July 7, five vessels have been attacked in Omani waters, including three crude oil supertankers, one LNG tanker and one container ship, based on Reuters’ analysis of incident data from the U.N.’s shipping agency. It was not immediately clear whether all of the vessels were sailing under the U.S.-guided transit programme. “The U.S. doesn’t seem to have any control over the situation,” one shipping source said, adding that the company had decided not to send its ships through the strait because of growing security risks and concerns for its crews. For decades, commercial vessels used the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), an internationally recognised shipping lane established by the U.N.’s shipping agency in 1968, to pass through the middle of the Strait of Hormuz. However, since the conflict with Iran began on February 28, Iranian forces have mined that area, forcing ships to use temporary routes closer to either the Iranian or Omani coast. In June, Reuters reported that the U.S. military began helping commercial vessels transit the strait using aerial drones, water drones and helicopters. The operation was aimed at keeping Gulf energy exports moving and helped facilitate the export of tens of millions of barrels of oil, reducing the impact of disruptions to global oil and gas supplies. However, recent attacks have raised fresh concerns about the safety