New York, United States. The U.N. International Maritime Organization on Thursday paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo vessel reported an attack near Oman. The incident renewed concerns over a preliminary deal aimed at ending the Iran war.
Reported attack near Oman
A cargo ship reported that it was hit by a projectile near Oman, according to British navy agency UKMTO. The report came hours after Tehran warned vessels against using routes it had not approved.
Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which Tehran established to manage requests for ships traveling through the strait, said vessels outside routes it has set would not be guaranteed safe passage.
Four sources identified the ship as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely. A security source said it was likely targeted by a drone.
IMO suspends operation
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. government. U.S. President Donald Trump warned earlier this month that if Iran did not honor an agreement aimed at ending the war and reopening the strait, the United States would probably resume bombing the country.
The IMO had been helping hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers leave the strait, where they had been stuck for months since the start of the war in late February.
It decided “to temporarily pause its implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.
The IMO said the ship involved in the suspected attack was not part of its evacuation programme.
Evacuation routes and market reaction
The initiative, launched on Tuesday, was a voluntary option for ships and their crews to sail out of the Gulf using two routes, one via Iranian waters and the other via Omani waters, with U.S. oversight, the IMO said this week.
Benchmark oil prices rose 1.9% after the reported attack. Analysts said the incident revived concerns about how long it could take for Gulf oil flows to return to normal levels.
