UN pauses ship evacuations through Strait of Hormuz after vessel attack
A UN agency halted the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The attack came hours after Iran threatened ships using the route without Tehran's permission.
A United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the British military reported that a vessel was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The incident followed the passage of several tankers using a UN-backed route.
The head of the UN's International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for ships on the evacuation list and in the region. Arsenio Dominguez, the agency's secretary-general, said the attacked vessel was not part of the evacuation effort.
After reports of the attack, Iran's newly established Persian Gulf strait authority wrote on X that transit outside its designated routes will not be covered by the guarantee of safe passage. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said the vessel sustained damage but reported no injuries or environmental effects.
Oil prices briefly dipped below prewar levels on Thursday, a sign that the market believes the situation is improving. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to the Gulf to reassure allies, said before the strike report that if the new route stops, there will be a problem.
The US and Iran are still debating terms of an interim peace deal, including issues such as getting ships through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf and the future of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Meanwhile, the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a warning on Thursday against using the new route, calling it unacceptable and completely dangerous. They stated that the only authorized route is the one declared by Iran, and violators will be dealt with.
