The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended the planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz – hours after a Singapore-flagged cargo ship was struck by an unknown projectile southeast of Oman.
The attack, reported on Thursday by the British maritime security agency UKMTO, hit the Ever Lovely 7.5 nautical miles off Oman’s port of Dahit. No casualties were reported, and the ship’s owner, Evergreen, said limited damage was caused, adding: “All crew members remain safe as does the vessel itself and all cargo.” The vessel subsequently safely transited the strait.
“UN pauses evacuation of 11,000 sailors after cargo ship attacked in Strait of Hormuz.”
But the strike came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that any attempt to cross the strait along a route designated by the IMO would be “unacceptable and completely dangerous”, insisting vessels should coordinate with Iran. US officials, citing American media reports, said Iran had fired on the ship.
The Ever Lovely had been following the UKMTO’s recommended southern route – the same path identified by the IMO on Thursday morning, according to ship-tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify. Yet IMO chief Arsenio Dominguez said the vessel “did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework”.
Announcing the suspension, Dominguez said: “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.”
Hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors have been stranded in the Gulf since February because of the US-Israel war against Iran. The UN evacuation effort was launched on Tuesday after the strait reopened, with Dominguez saying the “large-scale operation” had the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states and the maritime industry.
The attack came shortly after the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body set up by Iran to manage the strait, posted on X: “Any consequences arising from the use of unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the vessel’s owner, operator and master.” Many ships had been using an alternative route on the southern side, hugging Oman’s coast, the New York Times reported.
Last week, the US and Iran agreed to end hostilities under a 14-point framework. But on Thursday, Donald Trump lashed out, accusing Iran of “foolishly” violating that fragile ceasefire following the drone attack on the ally cargo ship. The evacuation plan now hangs in limbo as the IMO seeks guarantees that the waterway is safe – guarantees that have already been called into question by the attack on the Ever Lovely.