Iran attacks cargo ship off Oman coast

• UN pauses plan to evacuate 11,000 sailors from Strait of Hormuz
• Iran objects to new transit routes as a vessel is attacked near Oman
• IMO halts operation to ensure safety after cargo ship hit by projectile

The United Nations has put a pause on its effort to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors trapped in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran raised objections to the plan

and a cargo ship was attacked near Oman. The sudden pause, along with the attack, shows just how fragile traffic through one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world remains, even after the US and Iran reached a truce. The UN's International Maritime Organization had only announced its evacuation plan on Tuesday.

What Triggered The Pause

According to a report from Axios, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said he learned of an attack Thursday on a vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman. He clarified that the targeted vessel was not part of the IMO's evacuation effort, but said the safety of sailors has always been his top priority. Because of that, he decided to pause the evacuation plan until more clarity emerges, in order to keep the operation coordinated and safe for everyone involved.

Dominguez noted that several ships had already been evacuated successfully under the plan before the pause. He explained that he wants to use this time to reconfirm that proper safety guarantees are still in place, both for vessels on the evacuation list and for everyone else currently in the region.

Iran's Response

Without directly naming the IMO's operation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard navy told state media Wednesday that unnamed authorities had rolled out a new route for transiting Hormuz without coordinating with or notifying Iran first. The IRGC described the move as unacceptable and outright dangerous.

Details Of The Attack

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that a vessel was hit by an unknown projectile, though there were no immediate reports of any casualties. It was a Singapore-flagged vessel named Ever Lovely, as per a report from the Wall Street Journal. Separately, Lloyd's List Intelligence, which tracks global maritime activity, reported that at least two tankers turned back after trying to exit the Persian Gulf through the strait.

According to IMO estimates, around 600 ships remain stranded in the region right now. Since the Iran war first began in February, at least 14 sailors have died.