By Zoey
The United Nations has temporarily suspended its coordinated effort to evacuate commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after a ship was struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes.
The decision was announced on Thursday after the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel had sustained damage following an attack near Omani waters. Although the ship was damaged, authorities said there were no reported injuries among the crew and no signs of an oil spill or other environmental impact.
The identity of those responsible for the attack remains unknown, and officials have not disclosed what type of projectile was used or the nationality of the targeted vessel. The incident occurred only hours after Iranian authorities warned ships against using a newly established international transit route through the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran’s authorization.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), confirmed that the United Nations-backed evacuation operation has been paused while security conditions are reassessed.
According to Dominguez, the evacuation plan will remain suspended until international authorities receive sufficient assurances that vessels using the designated humanitarian shipping corridor can travel safely through the region. He clarified that the vessel struck on Thursday was not among the ships participating in the U.N.-coordinated evacuation effort.
The evacuation initiative was launched to assist dozens of commercial vessels that had remained stranded inside the Persian Gulf after weeks of military tensions severely disrupted maritime traffic. The temporary shipping corridor had been developed in cooperation with Oman to provide a safer alternative route through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing ships to avoid areas believed to pose the highest security risks.
Following reports of the latest attack, Iran’s recently established Persian Gulf Strait Authority issued a fresh warning on social media, declaring that any vessels operating outside shipping routes designated by the Iranian government would no longer be covered by its guarantees of safe passage.
The statement underscored Tehran’s insistence that all commercial traffic passing through the strategic waterway must follow routes approved by Iranian authorities, further complicating international efforts to restore normal shipping operations.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, carrying roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies under normal conditions. Any disruption to traffic through the narrow waterway has immediate consequences for global energy markets, shipping companies and international trade.
International efforts to establish an alternative passage are viewed as essential to reducing economic uncertainty and limiting Iran’s ability to use the waterway as leverage during ongoing diplomatic negotiations with the United States.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation through the strait while speaking during a visit to Gulf allies.
“If that stops, then we’re going to have a problem,” Rubio said before news emerged of the attack on the commercial vessel.
Despite continued security concerns, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has gradually increased over the past week, although shipping volumes remain well below the levels recorded before the outbreak of hostilities.
Financial markets have interpreted the gradual increase in ship movements as a sign that the situation could be stabilizing. Brent crude oil briefly traded below its pre-war level of approximately $73 per barrel before recovering later in the session, reflecting cautious optimism among investors that energy supplies will continue reaching global markets.
Behind the scenes, American and Iranian negotiators continue working to finalize the details of an interim peace agreement signed in principle last week. Among the most sensitive issues under discussion are guarantees for safe commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the future management of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The memorandum of understanding gives both governments 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive framework. However, negotiations have frequently spilled into the public arena, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials exchanging competing statements over the progress of talks and the concessions each side claims to have secured.
At the same time, renewed violence along the Israel-Lebanon border has threatened to complicate broader regional efforts aimed at reducing tensions.
Lebanese authorities said Israeli airstrikes over the past two days killed at least five people, while Iran has insisted that any long-term agreement to end regional hostilities must include a full Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have rejected that demand.
The U.N.-supported evacuation effort had represented one of the most significant attempts to restore confidence among commercial shipping companies after weeks of conflict.
Earlier Thursday, several oil tankers successfully completed the journey using the new internationally supported route. The convoy, led by the tanker Stoic Warrior, sailed along the coastlines of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, passing close to Oman’s Musandam Peninsula before exiting the Persian Gulf.
The route was designed jointly by Omani authorities and the International Maritime Organization to avoid areas considered especially dangerous following reports that Iran had deployed naval mines in parts of the central shipping corridor after military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel earlier this year.
Officials have confirmed that at least one naval mine has already been spotted in waters north of the newly designated route, reinforcing concerns about the continuing risks faced by commercial vessels.
Several shipping companies have also resumed limited operations. Danish shipping giant Maersk confirmed that its container vessel Maersk Baltimore, along with another chartered ship, safely transited the strait on Thursday.
Shipping data indicate that confidence is slowly returning despite persistent security threats. According to maritime analytics firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, approximately 125 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz last week, a significant increase from just 33 transits recorded during the previous week.
Separate figures from S&P Global showed that Wednesday alone recorded 78 vessel transits—the busiest day since the conflict began—although traffic still remains well below the pre-war daily average of more than 130 ships.
Iran has continued to reject the internationally backed shipping corridor, describing it as both unauthorized and unsafe.
In a statement released through the state-run IRNA news agency, the naval branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard criticized the alternative route, arguing that it had been created without consultation or approval from Iranian authorities.
Military officials insisted that only shipping lanes designated by the Islamic Republic are legally recognized, warning that vessels choosing alternative routes do so at considerable risk.
“The only authorized route for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement said, adding that ships operating elsewhere would be considered in violation of Iranian directives.
The warning follows an earlier incident reported by maritime security firm Ambrey, which said an Iranian military operator radioed a commercial tanker on Wednesday, warning the crew that the vessel was within missile range and could be fired upon if it continued its course.
During meetings in Bahrain on Thursday, Rubio sought to reassure Gulf Cooperation Council member states that any future agreement with Iran would not compromise their security or economic interests.
The Gulf nations, several of which rely heavily on uninterrupted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, have remained deeply concerned after becoming targets of Iranian attacks earlier in the conflict.
Rubio emphasized that the United States remains committed to protecting regional stability and ensuring that commercial shipping continues without interference or additional financial burdens, including any potential transit fees imposed by Iran.
“There is no part in this deal that in any way undermines the security, stability or prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region,” Rubio said.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani welcomed progress toward a diplomatic settlement but stressed that any agreement would only succeed if Iran fully honors its commitments.
Meanwhile, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah continued to show signs of strain.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike targeting a vehicle in southern Lebanon killed three people on Thursday. Hezbollah condemned the operation as a violation of the ceasefire but stopped short of announcing retaliation.
The Israeli military said it had targeted two separate groups believed to include Hezbollah members operating in southern Lebanon. The strikes occurred as Lebanese and Israeli officials met in Washington to discuss proposals for a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
Israel also confirmed that one of its reserve soldiers was killed during operations in southern Lebanon, highlighting the continued volatility of the region despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a broader and lasting peace.
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