- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated that safe passage through the strait would only be guaranteed along routes designated by Tehran, signaling that Iran intends to maintain a strong role in regulating movement through the key shipping corridor.
A Singapore-flagged cargo vessel was struck by a suspected projectile while transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz, triggering renewed security concerns in the Gulf and prompting the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) to temporarily suspend its evacuation program for stranded ships and seafarers in the region.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel reported being hit on its starboard side by an “unknown projectile,” causing damage to the bridge. The ship’s master confirmed there were no casualties or environmental damage resulting from the incident.
Two U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, reportedly alleged that Iran was behind the attack, although Tehran issued no immediate response to the accusations. Security sources indicated the vessel, identified by multiple reports as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, may have been targeted by a drone attack.
The incident occurred approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s Port of Dahit, in one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime corridors for global oil and gas shipments.
In response, the IMO announced the temporary suspension of its recently launched maritime evacuation initiative, which had been designed to help hundreds of stranded commercial vessels and thousands of seafarers safely exit the Gulf following months of conflict-related disruptions.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the pause was necessary to reassess safety guarantees for ships operating in the region and for vessels included in the evacuation program. The organization clarified that the affected cargo ship was not part of the convoy initiative.
The program, introduced earlier this week, offered voluntary escorted routes through Iranian and Omani waters under international coordination and U.S. oversight to facilitate safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The reported attack immediately rattled energy markets, with benchmark oil prices rising nearly two percent amid fears that tensions in the Gulf could once again threaten global energy supplies and delay the normalization of shipping operations through the strategic waterway.
Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz handled nearly one-fifth of global daily oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, making any disruption in the corridor a major concern for international markets and energy security, according to news agencies.
The incident comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a Gulf tour aimed at reassuring regional allies about the emerging ceasefire framework with Iran. Rubio warned that any threat to international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would create serious consequences and reaffirmed Washington’s opposition to restrictions on maritime navigation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated that safe passage through the strait would only be guaranteed along routes designated by Tehran, signaling that Iran intends to maintain a strong role in regulating movement through the key shipping corridor.
The latest maritime incident underscores the fragility of the tentative de-escalation efforts in the Gulf and highlights continuing uncertainty over security arrangements, navigation rights, and Iran’s future influence over one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
