The United Nations agency overseeing global shipping has paused the evacuation of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after a ship was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said safety guarantees must be confirmed before ships can resume transit.
Attack disrupts UN-backed evacuation plan
Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO's secretary-general, announced on Thursday that the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf via the strait would be on hold until the agency could verify security assurances for vessels on the evacuation list and in the region. The vessel that was attacked was not part of the evacuation effort, Dominguez clarified.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre reported that the vessel sustained damage but no injuries or environmental harm occurred. The identity of the attacker and the type of vessel targeted remain unknown. The strike came hours after Iran warned vessels against using the route without Tehran's permission.
Iran asserts control over strait routes
Following the attack, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority—a newly established government body—stated on X that transit outside its designated routes "will not be covered by the guarantee of safe passage." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy issued a warning on Thursday against using the alternative route, calling it "unacceptable and completely dangerous." In a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, the IRGC said, "The only authorised route for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Vessel traffic outside these routes is extremely dangerous and prohibited. Violators will be dealt with."
On Wednesday, the IRGC threatened a tanker over the radio, with a soldier warning: "You are in range of my missiles and maybe (I) fire on you," according to private security firm Ambrey.
New route aims to bypass Iranian blockade
The alternative passage, laid out by Oman and the IMO, saw oil tankers including the Stoic Warrior sail along the UAE and Oman early on Thursday, passing close to Oman's Musandam peninsula. This route skirts a corridor in the centre of the strait that previously carried about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas before the war. Iran claimed to have mined that passage after the US and Israel attacked it on 28 February, with at least one mine sighted there.
Despite the risks, some ships have successfully exited with US military support. The shipping company Maersk confirmed that its container ship, the Maersk Baltimore, and another chartered vessel made it out on Thursday. According to marine data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence, 125 vessels crossed the strait last week, up from 33 the week before. S&P Global reported 78 transits on Wednesday, the highest since the war began but still below the prewar daily average of 130.
Economic and diplomatic implications
The reopening of safe passage through the strait would relieve pressure on the global economy and remove Iran's main leverage in ongoing peace talks with the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Gulf allies, said Washington is committed to the new route. "If that stops, then we're going to have a problem," Rubio warned on Thursday before the strike report. Oil prices briefly dipped below $73 per barrel, the last prewar price, indicating market optimism.
South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that three more South Korean-operated vessels were expected to leave the strait this weekend, after eight had already exited and five remained.
Wider regional tensions
The US and Iran continue debating an interim peace deal, with 60 days to finalize details under a memorandum signed last week. Meanwhile, a flare-up in Lebanon between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah threatened the broader truce, with Lebanon reporting five killed by Israeli strikes. Iran said the tentative deal requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon—a condition Israel has rejected.
Rubio met foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain, assuring them that their interests would be protected. "There is no part in this deal that’s undertaken that in any way undermines the security, the stability or the prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region," he said. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani called the agreement a "glimmer of hope" but stressed that "it is critically important that Iran adheres to its obligations."
