Dubai. The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has temporarily suspended its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel came under attack, raising fresh concerns over the durability of a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the Iran war.
Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine said on Friday that one of its vessels had been struck near Oman by an "unknown object" while travelling along a route recommended by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
Earlier, the UKMTO reported that a vessel had been hit by a projectile, hours after Iran warned ships against using routes not approved by Tehran.
Two US officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the vessel. Meanwhile, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, established to regulate maritime traffic through the strait, said ships travelling outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage.
"Consequences arising from passage through unauthorised routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator and vessel commander," the authority said.
Evergreen said its Singapore-flagged vessel, Ever Lovely, was struck on the starboard side, damaging the bridge windows.
The company said the crew, vessel and cargo were safe and that the ship had successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz. A security source said the vessel was likely targeted by a drone.
There was no immediate response from the US government. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned that if Iran failed to honour an agreement aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the strait, the United States could resume military action.
The IMO had been facilitating the evacuation of hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers from the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has been severely disrupted since the conflict began on February 28.
In a statement, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the organisation 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 IMO clarified that the vessel involved in the latest incident was not part of its voluntary evacuation initiative, launched earlier this week to enable ships to leave the Gulf through routes passing via Iranian and Omani waters under US oversight.
The incident is expected to renew concerns over Iran's future control of the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict handled around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Iran assumed effective control of the strategic waterway after the war began, disrupting energy supplies and unsettling global markets. However, oil prices fell again on Friday and were on course for sharp weekly losses as more stranded oil tankers successfully exited the strait.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday that three South Korean vessels were expected to leave the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, after the country's Oceans Ministry reported that eight additional South Korean ships had already departed.
There were also signs that major Middle Eastern oil producers were resuming export operations. Shipping data showed that Saudi Aramco had resumed oil loading operations at its Ras Tanura terminal after a suspension of nearly four months.
Two very large crude carriers operated by Saudi Arabia's shipping company Bahri were seen loading crude oil at Ras Tanura, the world's largest oil export terminal, while another vessel waited nearby. Each tanker has a capacity of approximately two million barrels.
Before the latest incident, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluding a tour of Gulf states aimed at reassuring regional allies over the interim agreement, warned that any Iranian attempt to threaten or block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would create serious problems.
Iran, however, has indicated that it intends to maintain strict oversight of maritime traffic through the waterway.
The country's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that safe passage would only be guaranteed through routes designated by Iran and warned that action would be taken against vessels that failed to comply.
The Revolutionary Guards also ordered two Panama-flagged ships to alter their course on Thursday, according to British maritime security company Ambrey.
The conflict is increasingly weighing on President Trump ahead of November's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only one in four Americans believes the war has been worth its cost.
Conflicting interpretations of the preliminary ceasefire agreement have also fuelled criticism of the Trump administration both domestically and internationally. Key disagreements remain over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, control of the Strait of Hormuz and Israel's parallel conflict in Lebanon.
The agreement provides for 60 days of negotiations to address unresolved issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.
