UN Pauses Escort of Ships Through Straits Amid Iran War Tensions

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A Singapore-flagged cargo ship came under attack close to Oman, reigniting concerns about the Iran war ceasefire deal. The ship, identified as the Ever Lovely, reported being hit by a projectile, British navy agency UKMTO said.

The UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers were waiting to be evacuated. The IMO said the ship involved in the attack was not part of its evacuation program.

IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement that the organization decided to temporarily pause its implementation to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on its evacuation list and all those in the region.

Ships and seafarers have been stranded in the strait for months since the start of the war in late February. The IMO was helping to get them out of the strait, but the attack has cast doubts on the deal aimed at ending the war and reopening the strait.

Benchmark oil prices rose 2% following reports of the attack, which analysts said rekindled concerns about how long it could take for Gulf oil flows to resume normal levels. The Oman incident is likely to refocus attention on the extent of Iran’s future control over the Strait of Hormuz, which, before the conflict, handled a fifth of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said shipments through the strait were approaching levels seen before the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with at least 20 million barrels of oil exiting the waterway in the previous 24 hours. Other shipping data showed crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz rose this week to their highest level since the war began in February.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that safe passage through the strait would only be possible through routes designated by Iran, adding that it would take action against vessels that failed to comply. The Revolutionary Guards also ordered two Panama-flagged ships to change course on Thursday, British maritime security company Ambrey said.

The attack has raised concerns about whether the Iran war ceasefire deal will hold, with US President Donald Trump warning earlier this month that if Iran did not honor the agreement, the US would probably go back to bombing the country again.

US Officials Say Iran Fired on Stranded Ship

US officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship, while Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said vessels outside routes it has set will not be guaranteed safe passage. The authority added that consequences arising from passage through unauthorized routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander.

Strait of Hormuz Crisis Escalation

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that safe passage through the strait would only be possible through routes designated by Iran, adding that it would take action against vessels that failed to comply. The Revolutionary Guards also ordered two Panama-flagged ships to change course on Thursday, British maritime security company Ambrey said.