UN pauses Strait of Hormuz evacuation plan after cargo ship is struck near Oman

The United Nations maritime agency has paused its evacuation operation for ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo vessel reported being struck near Oman. Maritime security reporting said the ship was hit by a projectile on Thursday in waters southeast of the Omani coast, close to the port of Dahit. The vessel was later identified as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, and the incident has renewed concern over the safety of commercial shipping in the area.

Sponsored

The International Maritime Organization said it was temporarily suspending the plan so it could reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees remained in place for ships on its evacuation list and others in the region. Its secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, said the agency had already secured safety guarantees and verified conditions for safe navigation before the operation began. The evacuation effort had started on Tuesday and was intended to move about 600 ships and around 11,000 mariners out of the strait after months of disruption.

The reported strike came as the vessel was attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz close to Oman, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO. Maritime security sources said the ship was likely targeted by a drone, although responsibility has not been publicly confirmed. Two US officials were quoted as saying they believed Iran fired on the ship, while Iran's Strait authority warned that vessels outside routes it had set would not be guaranteed safe passage.

The pause matters because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive shipping corridors, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. Any interruption there can affect commercial traffic, energy transport and wider regional confidence. The evacuation initiative was designed to reduce risk for crews stranded since the closure of the strait during the conflict involving Iran, and the latest incident shows how quickly a single attack can disrupt a broader safety operation.

Sponsored

The operation had been organised with routes through both Iranian and Omani waters, with oversight from the United States on one of the corridors, according to the reporting. Preliminary maritime data indicated that dozens of ships had already passed through the strait under the plan before the pause was announced. The vessel involved in the attack was not part of the evacuation framework, but the incident still prompted a reassessment of the security guarantees underpinning the wider effort.

The episode also comes against the backdrop of continuing tension over who controls access to the waterway. Iran has said vessels should use only Tehran-approved routes, while US officials have warned that any attempt to threaten or block shipping would create a serious problem. The reported strike therefore has implications beyond the single ship, because it tests the practical limits of the arrangements meant to keep commercial traffic moving.

What remains unclear is who carried out the attack, how much damage the vessel sustained, and how long the evacuation pause will last. It is also not yet known whether the incident will lead to changes in the security posture around the strait or in the routes available to shipping. The maritime agency has said it will resume only once it is satisfied that safety guarantees remain in place, and operators are likely to watch closely for any further guidance.

#Pauses #Strait #Hormuz #Evacuation #Plan

Sponsored