Ship Reports Projectile Strike Near Hormuz as IMO Pauses Evacuation Plan

A cargo ship sailing in Omani waters near the Strait of Hormuz reported a suspected projectile strike. The International Maritime Organization temporarily halted a newly announced plan to evacuate ships and seafarers from the strait a day after unveiling it.

Reuters and other media reported that the UK Maritime Trade Operations said on June 25 it received a report that a vessel sailing 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s Port of Duqm had been hit on its starboard side by a projectile.

Part of the ship’s bridge was damaged, but there were no casualties or environmental pollution. Authorities are investigating the incident.

A maritime security source said the attacker has not been identified, though a drone may have been used. The vessel has been identified as the Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged container ship, but its owner, Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine, has not responded to inquiries.

Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said only ships using routes designated by Iran could be assured safe passage. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or PGSA, also warned that vessels using routes outside designated zones could lose safety guarantees and may be excluded from insurance coverage and compensation.

After the incident, the IMO suspended implementation of the plan it announced a day earlier to evacuate hundreds of ships and 11,000 seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said some vessels had already left the strait under the plan, but the operation would be paused until additional safety assurances are confirmed.

He added that the vessel hit on June 25 was not operating under the IMO evacuation plan. The organization will keep the plan on hold until there is clarity on coordinated transit procedures and navigational safety.

Han Kyung-woo, Hankyung.com reporter case@hankyung.com