UN Pauses Strait of Hormuz Evacuation Following Cargo Ship Incident
The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended its planned evacuation of over 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo vessel transiting the waterway was attacked.
IMO Director General Arsenio Dominguez stated that several vessels had already been evacuated, but the agency aims to ensure that the "necessary safety guarantees" remain in place before continuing the operation.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported on Thursday that a ship was hit by "an unknown projectile" approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Maritime risk management firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, which continued its passage through the strait despite the attack.
According to US media reports citing US officials, Iran fired on the ship. The authority established by Iran to oversee the strait declared that vessels navigating outside designated routes would not be assured safe passage.
In a statement posted on X, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said:
"Any consequences arising from the use of unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the vessel's owner, operator and master".
Since February, hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors have been stranded in the Gulf due to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The UN evacuation initiative was announced only on Tuesday following the reopening of the strait. Dominguez noted that the "large-scale operation" had the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the US, other regional coastal states, and the maritime industry.
In a statement issued Thursday, Dominguez clarified that the vessel attacked "did not transit under IMO's evacuation framework."
"I have always reiterated that the safety of the seafarers remains paramount. Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the evacuation plan will be paused until further clarity is obtained," he added.
Ship-tracking website MarineTraffic reported that the Ever Lovely entered the Strait via the southern route on Thursday morning and exited on the eastern side at approximately 15:30 local time (16:30 BST).
Vanguard also confirmed that no assistance was required following the incident.
Last week, the US and Iran agreed to cease hostilities under a 14-point agreement, which included a provision for Iran to use its "best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days."
However, Tehran has repeatedly stated its intention to impose maritime service fees for crossing the strait, distinguishing these from tolls.
The plan has been strongly opposed by the US. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that no country is permitted to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as "an international waterway." Rubio is currently in Bahrain as part of a Gulf tour to discuss the agreement with Tehran.
Following US and Israeli attacks against Iran at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait—a vital route for oil and gas shipments—resulting in a surge in global oil prices and disrupting shipments of other essential commodities such as fertilizer.
Since the US and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 17 June, which outlined a 60-day negotiation period on Tehran's nuclear program and other measures to end the conflict, crude oil prices have declined sharply.
Earlier on Thursday, oil prices briefly fell below $72.48 (£55) per barrel—the price level before the US and Israel initiated attacks on Iran—before rising slightly to $73.23.
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