Strait of Hormuz Ship Evacuation Halted After Vessel Attack

The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended its efforts to evacuate hundreds of ships stranded in the Gulf of Oman after a cargo vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident occurred on Thursday, when a ship reported being struck by a projectile approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit. Maritime security sources suggest the vessel was likely targeted by a drone, although the perpetrator remains unknown. The IMO had launched an evacuation initiative on Tuesday, aiming to assist around 600 ships and 11,000 mariners stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The plan involved two evacuation routes, one through Iranian waters and another through Omani waters with US oversight. However, following the attack, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez announced a temporary pause in the evacuation plan, citing concerns over safety guarantees for the ships involved. The suspension comes as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned vessels against using the route through the strait without Tehran's permission, and the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) stated that transit outside designated routes would not be covered by guarantees of safe passage. The evacuation effort is part of a broader push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that has been effectively closed since the conflict began on February 28. Denmark has pledged to join an international maritime mission led by France and the UK to help secure the waterway, while Oman's Defence Ministry has cautioned that the current environment poses an elevated collision risk, requiring gradual and controlled movement of ships.