A cargo ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after Iran warned it would handle "vehicles crossing the strait illegally". The incident occurred on June 25 (local time) in an area about 14km southeast of Dahit, Oman.
The cargo ship was hit on the starboard side by an unidentified object, causing damage to the cockpit. The captain reported no casualties or environmental impact," the UK Maritime Trade Administration (UKMTO), operated by the British Navy, said.
According to a security source, it is possible that the vehicle was hit by a drone. The British maritime security company Vanguard Tech believes that the target was the Singaporean-flagged container ship Ever Lovely.
The incident caused the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to suspend the evacuation of about 11,000 sailors trapped due to the Hoarmuz Strait closure. This program began to be implemented from the evening of June 23.
I have decided to stop implementing the plan to reaffirm that the necessary safety assurances are still maintained for the ships on our evacuation list, as well as all ships operating in the area," IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez added that the attacked ship did not move within the organization's evacuation plan. Iranian and US officials have not commented.
The cargo ship was attacked after the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the same day requested ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz according to the route announced by this force, warning that violating vehicles would be handled. The IRGC previously said that "some functional agencies announced new traffic flows in the Strait of Hormuz", calling this unacceptable.
The United Maritime Information Center, under UKMTO, said on June 18, "the southern channel, along the Oman coast, is guaranteed to be mineless and is a recommended route", and announced a series of coordinates to determine safe directions.
The attack is likely to continue to attract attention about Iran's level of control over the Strait of Hormuz in the future. This sea route is the transit route for about 20% of the world's oil and gas in peacetime.
Before the incident occurred, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran could face consequences if it threatened or blocked ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Tehran has signaled that it will continue to assert control over this maritime route.
