A merchant ship was struck by a projectile while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz after using a new Oman-designated shipping route instead of the Iran-approved channel. The attack came just hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned ships not to use unauthorized routes, causing several vessels to turn back.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Straits Authority (PGSA) said only routes approved by the agency are covered by its security guarantees. It warned that any ship using unauthorized routes will be fully responsible for any damage or losses, with liability falling on shipowners, operators and captains.
Two senior US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the IRGC carried out the attack on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship on Thursday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel’s wheelhouse was damaged near the Omani coast, but no crew members were injured.
Following the attack, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) temporarily paused its evacuation operation for ships and seafarers stranded in the Gulf of Oman. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Domingues said the pause will allow officials to review the evacuation list and ensure all vessels have the necessary security protection.
The evacuation plan had been launched earlier this week, but the attacked cargo ship was not part of the IMO operation. A US official blamed Iran for the strike and said Washington is investigating the incident, while President Trump has said Iran must not be allowed to disrupt freedom of navigation.
Meanwhile, Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Bahrain and said reopening the Strait of Hormuz is essential for global trade. They called for free and unrestricted navigation under international law and said future trade and investment with Iran will depend on Tehran meeting its commitments and supporting safe maritime transit.
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