The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has temporarily suspended its voluntary evacuation initiative through the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo vessel reported being struck near the coast of Oman, prompting renewed concerns over maritime security in the strategically important waterway.
The British navy's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the vessel reported being hit on its starboard side by a projectile while sailing about 14 kilometers southeast of Oman's port of Dahit.
Maritime security sources identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, which was not participating in the IMO evacuation program.
A security source said the vessel was likely targeted by a drone, while two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship.
There was no immediate public comment from the U.S. government.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the organization had decided "to temporarily pause its implementation in order to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region."
The evacuation initiative, launched earlier this week, was designed to help hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers leave the Gulf through routes via Iranian waters or Omani waters under U.S. oversight.
The IMO said the attacked vessel was operating independently of the program.
The evacuation effort followed months of disruption after the conflict that began in late February left commercial vessels stranded throughout the region.
Hours before the reported attack, Iran warned vessels against using routes through the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's approval.
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority said ships traveling outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly ordered two Panama-flagged vessels to change course.
The reported attack briefly pushed benchmark oil prices higher as concerns resurfaced over the pace of restoring normal shipping through the waterway.
Commercial traffic has gradually increased since the interim agreement aimed at reopening the strait, although ship tracking data indicates vessel movements remain below pre-conflict levels as operators continue navigating cautiously.