The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for global shipping, has temporarily suspended its operation to evacuate vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz following an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The evacuation mission had been launched to help hundreds of commercial vessels and thousands of seafarers leave the high-risk waters surrounding the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened regional tensions.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the vessel targeted in the attack was not operating under the organization’s evacuation program. However, he explained that the operation had been paused to ensure adequate security guarantees for all ships remaining in the area.
The IMO did not disclose the identity of the vessel involved in the incident.
Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a container ship near the coast of Oman had been struck in what it described as a suspected attack.
According to a maritime security source, the vessel was likely targeted by a drone, although no group or state has officially claimed responsibility and investigators have not identified the attacker.
The temporary suspension highlights continuing security concerns in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors, through which a significant share of global oil and commercial cargo passes each day.
Maritime authorities are continuing to monitor the security situation before deciding when the evacuation operation can safely resume.
