The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has temporarily suspended the operation to evacuate ships and seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the organisation’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Domínguez, the decision was taken following an attack on a cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.
According to Dominguez, to ensure the safety of shipping and to coordinate further action, the evacuation plan has been suspended pending further information.
The decision was taken following an attack earlier on 25 June on a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “This vessel was not part of the IMO evacuation,” said Dominguez.
The IMO has not identified the vessel nor provided details of the attack.
Meanwhile, on 25 June, The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Oman. The attack resulted in damage to the bridge. According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), none of the crew members were injured.
As the WSJ notes, a few hours before the attack, the Iranian navy warned vessels that they must only use routes agreed with Tehran. Iran demands that vessels sail closer to its coastline and obtain permission from a special authority responsible for the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and some Western insurance companies, by contrast, recommend using the route along the coast of Oman under the protection of American forces.
On 23 June, the International Maritime Organisation announced the launch of a large-scale operation to evacuate around 11,000 seafarers who had been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz area following restrictions on shipping amid the conflict between the US and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.
Although shipping has begun to resume following a framework agreement between the US and Iran, uncertainty remains due to reports of Iranian sea mines in the waterway.