“The UN suspended the evacuation plan for the Strait of Hormuz following an attack by Iran”

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The UN International Maritime Organization suspended its program on Thursday to guide ships and sailors through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship reported a suspected attack, reigniting fears over a preliminary agreement to end the war with Iran.

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The vessel claimed to have been hit by a projectile near Oman, according to the British naval agency UKMTO, hours after Tehran warned ships not to use routes it had not approved.

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Iran and the United States did not immediately comment on the incident. Four sources identified the ship as the Ever Lovely, flying the Singaporean flag. A security source indicated that it was likely attacked by a drone.

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Ships and sailors stranded for months

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The IMO was helping to get hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of sailors out of the strait where they had remained trapped for months since the beginning of the war at the end of February.

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As stated by the IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Domínguez, in a statement, the organization has decided to “temporarily suspend its application to reconfirm that the necessary security guarantees remain in place for the vessels included in our evacuation list and for all those in the region”.

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We recommend reading:About 31 ships per day are passing through Hormuz, according to a maritime monitoring platform

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The IMO stated that the vessel involved in the alleged attack was not part of its evacuation program.

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The initiative, which was launched on Tuesday, was a voluntary option for vessels and their crews to sail from the Gulf using two routes: one through Iranian waters and the other through Omani waters, under the supervision of the United States, as reported this week by the IMO.

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Benchmark oil prices rose 1.9% following the reported attack, which analysts said reignited concerns about how long it might take for Gulf oil flows to return to normal.

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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 one-fifth of the world’s daily supply of oil and liquefied natural gas.

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Before the incident, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was concluding a tour of the Gulf to reassure states about the interim pact, told reporters that if Iran threatens or blocks ships in the strait, “then we are going to have a problem.” The U.S. Secretary of State sought to reassure countries in the region about maritime security (Reuters)

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The Palestinian village depends on tourism to this ancient site, and many of its inhabitants trace their origins back centuries.

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Iran, however, has signaled that it will continue to exercise its control over the strait.

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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard declared on Thursday that safe passage through the strait would only be possible through routes designated by Iran, adding that it would take measures against vessels that did not comply with said regulations.

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Previously, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated that shipments through the strait were approaching levels recorded before the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, with at least 20 million barrels of oil having left the strait in the 24 hours prior.

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During the conflict, Iran took effective control of that vital strategic point, disrupting oil flows and shaking global energy markets and the economy in general.

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The war weighs heavily on US President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, only one in four Americans believes the war was worth it. Donald Trump pushed for negotiations for a preliminary agreement that seeks to end the war with Iran (Reuters)

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Contradictory versions have emerged regarding some elements of the ceasefire framework agreement, which has sparked criticism of Trump both at home and abroad.

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Disagreements persist over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon.

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Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, stated on Thursday that the U.S. claim that Iran would spend its unfrozen assets on purchasing U.S. agricultural products was false.

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The agreement establishes 60 days of talks to address the thorniest issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.

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