A United Nations agency paused the evacuation of vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The decision followed a British military report stating that a ship was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman, just after several tankers utilized a route supported by the U.N. The head of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, announced that the plan to guide stranded vessels out of the Persian Gulf will remain suspended until the organization can confirm safety guarantees for ships on the evacuation list and in the region. Dominguez clarified that the vessel attacked in this incident was not part of the evacuation effort.<\/p>\n
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the merchant vessel Ever Lovely was struck by a drone flown by Iran\u2019s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. This attack occurred hours after Iran threatened to block vessels from using the waterway without explicit permission from Tehran. Following the incident, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority\u2014a recently created Iranian government body\u2014posted on X that any transit outside of its designated routes would not receive safe passage guarantees. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported that the vessel sustained damage but noted there were no injuries or environmental repercussions from the attack.<\/p>\n
Establishing an alternative passage through the vital waterway is intended to relieve economic pressure and reduce Iran\u2019s leverage in peace negotiations with the U.S. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently visiting the Gulf, reaffirmed Washington\u2019s commitment to the route, warning that any failure to maintain this transit would cause significant problems. Oil prices on Thursday briefly dipped below the prewar mark of $73 per barrel, suggesting market optimism, despite the ongoing debates regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles and shipping terms. Under a memorandum signed last week, both nations have 60 days to finalize details of an interim peace deal, even as leaders exchange public threats.<\/p>\n
The current volatility is compounded by a flare-up of fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, which threatens the broader truce. While Iran maintains that any peace deal requires an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, Israel has rejected this condition. Early Thursday, tankers led by the Stoic Warrior sailed along the coast of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, following a path set by Oman and the IMO. This route is north of a central corridor where ships moved freely before the war. Iran stated it mined that passage following U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, and at least one mine has been spotted there.<\/p>\n
Despite these dangers, shipping firm Maersk confirmed that its container ship, the Maersk Baltimore, and another chartered vessel successfully exited the strait on Thursday. Recent data shows a rise in activity, with 125 vessels crossing last week compared to 33 the previous week. According to S&P Global, Wednesday saw 78 transits\u2014the highest count since the war began\u2014yet still well under the daily prewar average of 130 or more. The naval arm of the Revolutionary Guard remains defiant, calling the new route \u201cunacceptable and completely dangerous\u201d in a statement via Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, adding that violators will be dealt with. Meanwhile, U.S. officials continue to work with the Gulf Cooperation Council to maintain regional stability, while the fragile lull in the Lebanon conflict shows signs of instability following recent targeted strikes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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