Using version 0.16.1, it seems that elm-analyse cannot read elm.json files if there are some numbers in the exposed-modules.

For example:

$ git clone https://github.com/rtfeldman/elm-iso8601-date-strings.git
$ cd elm-iso8601-date-strings/
$ elm-analyse
ERROR: Could not read project file (./elm.json)

If I replace the exposed-modules "Iso8601" by "Iso", elm-analyse does not complain anymore.