UN pauses Hormuz evacuation plan after ship reports attack

LONDON/MANAMA/DUBAI — The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily suspended its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a cargo vessel reported an attack near Oman, raising fresh concerns over a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the Iran war.

According to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the cargo ship was struck by a projectile hours after Tehran warned vessels against using routes not approved by Iranian authorities.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran fired on the vessel, while Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, established to manage requests for ships transiting the strategic waterway, said ships traveling outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage.

Four sources identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely. A security source said the ship was likely targeted by a drone.

There was no immediate response from the U.S. government. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Iran failed to honor an agreement intended to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would likely resume military strikes against the country.

IMO pauses evacuation operation

The IMO had been helping hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers leave the Strait of Hormuz, where they had been trapped for months since fighting began in late February.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the organization 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 reported attack was not part of its evacuation program.

Launched earlier this week, the voluntary initiative allowed ships and their crews to leave the Gulf through two designated routes—one via Iranian waters and another through Omani waters—with U.S. oversight.

Oil prices climb as security concerns return

Benchmark oil prices rose 1.9% following reports of the attack, with analysts warning that the incident renewed concerns over how quickly Gulf oil shipments could return to normal.

The attack also renewed attention on Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about one-fifth of the world's daily oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the conflict.

Before the incident, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluding a tour of Gulf states, warned that any Iranian effort to threaten or block shipping through the strait would create serious problems.

Iran, however, signaled it would continue asserting control over the strategic waterway.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said safe passage would only be allowed through routes designated by Tehran and warned they would act against vessels that failed to comply.

British maritime security firm Ambrey also reported that the Revolutionary Guards ordered two Panama-flagged ships to change course on Thursday.

Earlier, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was nearing pre-conflict levels, with at least 20 million barrels of oil passing through the waterway over the previous 24 hours.

During the conflict, Iran effectively controlled the strategic chokepoint, disrupting global oil supplies and fueling concerns across international energy markets.

Ceasefire questions remain

The conflict continues to weigh on President Trump's political standing ahead of November's midterm elections, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing that only one in four Americans believes the war was worth the cost.

Conflicting accounts have also emerged over key elements of the preliminary ceasefire framework, drawing criticism both domestically and internationally.

Major disagreements remain over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel's parallel conflict in Lebanon.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, rejected U.S. claims that Tehran would use unfrozen assets to purchase American agricultural products, calling the assertion false.

The preliminary agreement provides for 60 days of negotiations to address unresolved issues, including Iran's nuclear program. -Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Ros Russell, Andrew Heavens and David Brunnstrom; editing by Gareth Jones, Jason Neely and Sanjeev Miglani/Reuters