UN halts escort of ships through Hormuz after Singapore-flagged vessel attacked
A cargo ship was hit by a projectile close to Oman, testing a preliminary agreement to end the Iran war
The UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a vessel reported an attack, reigniting concerns about whether a preliminary deal to end the Iran war will hold.
Nevertheless, at least four tankers including three huge crude carriers, which can each carry up to two million barrels of oil, entered the Gulf to load up, ship tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic showed on Friday.
Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine said on Friday its Singapore-flagged ship was hit close to Oman by an “unknown object” while on a route recommended by the British navy agency UKMTO.
The agency said earlier a vessel had been struck by a projectile hours after Tehran warned ships against taking routes it had not approved.
Two US officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship, while Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which Tehran established to manage requests for ships to travel through the strait, said vessels outside routes it has set will not be guaranteed safe passage.
“Consequences arising from passage through unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander,” the Iranian authority said.