The U.S. Navy is providing guidance and protection to ships leaving Iran by having them turn off their transponders.

Posted by The Rob Carson Show, Sep 7, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictTrue

Sources: 3 support4 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

The Rob Carson ShowSep 7, 2026

Sources from August to October 2026 report that the U.S. military shepherds tankers through the Strait of Hormuz with air and naval protection, and that many shippers switch off AIS transponders during transit.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… land, where it was sort of at this level a long time ago, and, you know, we hear all these claims the Strait is controlled by Iran, or they're going to keep threatening ships. They'll be threatening to some extent, but we know their claims aren't true. The ships have been consistently getting out with the guidance of the Navy. Some of them turn off their transponders and are protected by the U.S. Navy, and there will be more and more ships getting out. This is, frankly, Iran's last stand, and we're now seeing reports that there are Iranian leaders who may want to flee the country because they're worried there will be an uprising. …

The Rob Carson Show · Sep 7, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. CNBC (Oct 30, 2026) reports tankers sail through Hormuz with their transponders turned off and that the U.S. military provides protection to tankers transiting the strait.[3]

Supports. Seattle Times (Aug 19, 2026) reports the U.S. military stealthily shepherds tankers through the southern corridor and that ship operators register planned trips with CENTCOM, which says it has helped more than 1,000 ships transit.[4]

Supports. A Yahoo/Economist-style report (Oct 30, 2026) describes vessels being told to turn off AIS transponders and then given safe coordinates while U.S. forces protect them in layers.[5]

Context. The U.S. blockade reporting (AP, Reuters, April 2026) shows the Navy turning back Iran-linked ships leaving Iranian ports, which is a different enforcement action from guiding ships out; CENTCOM redirected over 100 vessels a day in September, so the blockade was still active.[1][2][6]

Context. Newsweek (April 2026) reports that some Iran-linked ships evaded the blockade by turning off AIS or spoofing positions, which is consistent with the transponder-off practice but not with Navy-guided passage.[7]