Shipping traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted following an attack on a cargo ship by Iran's military on Thursday, according to a U.S. official. The incident occurred just days after Iran had reportedly agreed to ensure safe passage through the waterway.
The vessel, identified as the Ever Lovely, was targeted near the coast of Oman. This strike has led the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, to temporarily halt an evacuation operation for hundreds of ships that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf amid regional conflict.
A spokesperson for the IMO clarified that the Ever Lovely had not coordinated its passage with the agency's ongoing evacuation efforts. In the preceding days, maritime traffic through the strait had seen a significant increase, with shipping companies assessing the waterway as having become safer following a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran aimed at fostering lasting peace.
Data from maritime analytics firm Kpler indicated that Wednesday marked the busiest day for transits through the strait since March 1, with approximately 70 vessels, including 29 tankers, passing through. However, earlier on Thursday, the naval branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps issued a statement asserting that only routes officially designated by Iran were authorized, cautioning vessels against utilizing alternative corridors. Many ships had been opting for a route along the Omani coast on the southern side of the strait.
The Ever Lovely is reportedly owned by Evergreen Marine, a prominent Taiwanese shipping company, according to ship data provider Equasis.
