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Attack, then evacuation pause
Iran fired on a cargo ship that attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after it was initially struck by a projectile earlier on Thursday, two US officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The vessel had reported being hit on its starboard side by an unknown projectile 7.5 nautical miles southeast of the port of Dahit in Oman, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The International Maritime Organization said evacuation operations for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz were temporarily suspended following Thursday’s attack in the Gulf of Oman, with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez saying he had "decided to temporarily pause" the implementation of the evacuation plan.
Dominguez said the pause was to ensure that "necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region."
Route warnings and responsibility
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz outside routes designated by the authority would not be covered by safe-passage guarantees or insurance protections.
In a post on X, the PGSA said ships using unauthorized routes would forfeit insurance coverage and related liabilities, adding that any consequences would be the responsibility of the vessel’s owner, operator and commander.
The authority said, "Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees and will not be entitled to insurance coverage or related liabilities," and it added that responsibility for consequences rests entirely with shipowners, operators and vessel commanders.
The warning came as the IMO said it had temporarily suspended evacuation operations after a vessel was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, and as UKMTO previously reported a cargo vessel being struck on June 25 by an “unknown projectile” 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman.
Diplomacy, fees, and navigation
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited Muscat on Wednesday for talks with Oman on initiating negotiations involving Iran, Iraq and Gulf Arab states on the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported citing a diplomat briefed on the talks.
The diplomat said Gulf states are expected to push for no transit fees, while Iran could propose environmental, navigation and security fees, and the discussions were separate from US-Iran peace talks and de-mining arrangements.
The same Reuters report said the move appears to implement a provision of the memorandum of understanding signed last week that calls for Iran to hold talks with Oman and other Gulf states and Iraq on the future management of navigation and maritime services in the strait.
In parallel, the Iranian Strait of Hormuz Authority said it would not cover safe-passage guarantees for any maritime movement through the strait outside the routes designated by Iranian authorities, stressing that the responsibility and consequences lie with ship owners and their investors.
