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UKMTO said the vessel was hit on its starboard side by a projectile while sailing about 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman. (Source: Reuters)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after earlier reports stated that it had been struck by a projectile, according to two US officials cited by Reuters and The Wall Street Journal.
Earlier, the British maritime security agency UKMTO said the vessel reported being hit on its starboard side by a projectile while sailing about 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit. The incident occurred as the ship attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes.
The attack marked the first major challenge to the US-Iran agreement reached last week, which was aimed at ending hostilities and restoring safe passage through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The UKMTO said the projectile struck the vessel’s bridge, causing damage but no injuries among the crew.
Iran Warns Ships Against Unauthorised Hormuz Transit
The incident came hours after Iran’s paramilitary navy cautioned ships against using transit routes through the strait without Tehran’s authorisation.
The warning was later reiterated by the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the Iranian body responsible for overseeing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, the authority said ships sailing outside designated transit routes would not be assured safe passage.
Also Read: ‘Unacceptable’: Trump Rejects Iran Deal With Hormuz Shipping Fees Clause
It further warned that “consequences arising from passage through unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander.”
IMO Suspends Evacuation Of Stranded Vessels In Hormuz
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ shipping agency has temporarily suspended an evacuation operation aimed at helping hundreds of stranded vessels and thousands of seafarers safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz after the ship came under attack in the Gulf of Oman.
Announcing the decision, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the attacked vessel was not part of the UN-led evacuation framework.
“I have been informed of an attack today in the Gulf of Oman on a vessel which passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This vessel did not transit under the IMO’s evacuation framework,” Dominguez said in a statement.
He added that the evacuation effort would remain on hold until the safety situation is reassessed.
“I have decided to temporarily pause its implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region,” he said.
The incident has renewed focus on Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime chokepoint that carries nearly one-fifth of the world’s daily oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, before the recent conflict.
Speaking at the end of his Gulf tour aimed at reassuring regional allies about the interim agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that any attempt by Iran to disrupt shipping through the strait would be a problem. “If Iran threatens or blocks ships in the strait, then we’re going to have a problem,” he told reporters.
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Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st…Read More
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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