The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has paused the extraction of approximately 11,000 sailors affected by the Strait of Hormuz closure following an assault on a ship in the Gulf of Oman. Earlier in the week, the UN agency had initiated efforts to assist 600 trapped vessels after the United States and Iran reached a tentative agreement to conclude their hostilities.
The operation was put on hold after an unidentified projectile struck a cargo ship near the Omani coast on Thursday. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated that the pause is necessary to verify that essential safety assurances remain valid for all vessels in the area. Dominguez clarified that the ship hit on Thursday was not part of the official IMO evacuation initiative.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency, the vessel sustained bridge damage, though no crew members were harmed. While Kpler reported 70 successful transits through the strait on Wednesday, traffic remains significantly below normal levels. Authorities from the Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority and the Revolutionary Guards have cautioned that unauthorized vessels attempting to navigate the area will not receive safe passage guarantees and may face intervention.
