Iranian drone hits cargo ship near Hormuz, US officials say; The UN halted the evacuation operation | Today’s news
Hours after the United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) reported that a cargo vessel had been hit by an unidentified projectile near the Strait of Hormuz, CNN cited a US official as saying the vessel had been hit by an Iranian drone.
Thursday’s alleged attack by an Iranian drone prompted the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized UN agency, to halt the evacuation of thousands of sailors in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran in late February.
Citing the head of the IMO, the UN agency announced the pause in evacuations in a post on X: “I have been informed of today’s attack in the Gulf of Oman. The safety of seafarers remains paramount. To ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the IMO evacuation plan will be suspended until further clarification.”
A US official did not provide further details regarding the strike and Tehran did not claim responsibility.
Read also | A cargo ship was hit by an unknown projectile near Hormuz, the British Maritime Agency reports
Here’s what we know about the attack on the freighter
The UKMTO said in a statement: “The cargo vessel was struck on the starboard side by an unknown projectile causing damage to the bridge.”
In an advisory issued to the shipping industry, the UKMTO said the incident occurred approximately 7.5 nautical miles south-east of Dahit, Oman. The projectile reportedly hit the vessel on the starboard side, causing damage to the ship’s bridge, AFP reported.
However, no casualties or environmental impact have been reported, the statement said, adding that officials are now investigating the case. Meanwhile, the UKMTO has advised vessels to proceed with caution and report suspicious activity.
The evacuation operation was stopped
The IMO, the UN agency responsible for shipping, has announced its plan to halt an evacuation operation to help stranded vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The IMO chief said evacuation efforts would remain suspended until safety guarantees could be provided for both the ships involved in the evacuation and commercial vessels operating in the region.
The break in operations comes days after the IMO said the US-Iran deal paved the way for the evacuation of more than 11,000 stranded sailors from the Persian Gulf.
In a statement, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “I have always reiterated that the safety of seafarers remains paramount,” adding: “Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the evacuation plan will be suspended until further clarification is obtained,” CNN reported.
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Iran Warning for Vessels
The attack on the cargo ship and subsequent halt to the evacuation of sailors occurred on the same day that Iran’s Gulf Maritime Administration (also operating as the Persian Gulf Straits Authority – PGSA) warned that vessels sailing outside its designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage and would not be covered by insurance or related liabilities.
In a post on X, he added: “The owner, operator and master of the vessel will be responsible for the consequences of traveling on unauthorized routes.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also warned ships on Thursday against crossing the Strait of Hormuz without permission, saying vessels that do not comply “will be dealt with”. It reads: “The only route allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz is the route announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” AFP reported.
The statement warned that any crossing without permission was “unacceptable and extremely dangerous”. The ideological wing of Iran’s military also condemned what they described as a new route through the waterway that was announced by “certain authorities”.
The incident raised new concerns about maritime security in and around Hormuz, a key waterway and one of the world’s most critical sea routes, which in pre-war times accounted for roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies.
Read also | US-Iran war news LIVE: UN agency halts evacuation of ships from Strait of Hormuz
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding
The attack on the cargo vessel came about 10 days after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the conflict and pave the way for talks in 60 days to reach a final agreement. Under the memorandum of understanding, Washington and Tehran will have 60 days to work out key details on issues including maritime security, ship access and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which can be expanded by mutual agreement.
Meanwhile, tensions in the region remain high as clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon have escalated in recent days, fueling fears that the already fragile ceasefire situation could deteriorate further.
