UN IMO Pauses Evacuation After Unknown Projectile Strikes Ever Lovely Near Oman

The UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) paused its planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship was attacked while passing through the waterway, with IMO chief Arsenio Dominguez saying the agency wanted to ensure "necessary safety guarantees" would continue to be in place.

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AFR

UKMTO reported that a ship was struck 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit by an "unknown projectile," and no casualties were reported.

Al Jazeera

Maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely continued through the strait despite the attack, while the body set up by Iran to manage the strait said vessels passing outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage.

Dominguez said the vessel that was attacked "did not transit under IMO's evacuation framework," and he added that the evacuation plan would be paused until further clarity was obtained.

The BBC also framed the incident as part of the UN-backed effort after the strait reopened, noting that the evacuation plan was only announced on Tuesday following the reopening of the strait.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked and hit the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely with a drone while it was exiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials cited by Fox News.

Retired U.S. Navy commander Kirk Lippold told Fox News that Iran’s reported push to charge fees for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz is a violation of international law, saying "It is an international waterway through the Strait of Hormuz."

Al-Monitor

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a body set up by Iran to manage the strait, said on X that "Any consequences arising from the use of unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the vessel's owner, operator and master".

The Washington Post reported that Iran attacked a cargo ship Thursday as it tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz along a new route promoted by a United Nations maritime agency, with two U.S. officials saying the vessel was hit by an Iranian drone.

The Washington Post also quoted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warning that safe passage through the strait was limited to routes designated by Tehran and that other routes were "unacceptable and completely dangerous," according to Iranian state-run media.

The IMO’s pause came as the UN evacuation initiative had been launched on Tuesday and was intended to help move stranded ships and seafarers out of the Gulf through two routes, but the latest suspension followed the attack on the vessel that was not part of the IMO evacuation framework.

Al Jazeera reported that the IMO on Thursday put the plan on hold after being informed of the attack, quoting IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez: "I have decided to temporarily pause [the evacuation plan’s] implementation".

Al Jazeera also said the ship was identified as the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely and that it was not operating under the IMO evacuation framework.

CBS News said the vessel suffered damage to its bridge but that no one was injured, and it reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio again rejected the idea of Iran charging vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

CBS News further noted that the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA would not be covered by safe passage guarantees and would not be entitled to insurance coverage or related liabilities.