IMO Suspends Plan to Evacuate Stranded Seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) has temporarily halted plans to evacuate over 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, after a cargo vessel passing through the waterway was struck by a projectile.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said some crews had already been evacuated, but the agency decided to pause the operation until 'the necessary safety assurances' could be secured for those involved.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Thursday that a cargo ship was hit by 'an unknown object' approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman. No casualties were reported.

The incident occurred despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last week between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending hostilities, which included provisions to restore traffic through this strategic waterway. Iran had restricted vessel movements through the strait since early March, following attacks on the country by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. By April, the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on Iran-linked vessels attempting to transit the waterway.

Since the MoU was signed, commercial activity has resumed through the strait, but significant disagreements remain over which routes vessels should use and whether Iran is permitted to levy tolls or fees.

Oman and the IMO proposed a new shipping corridor that could partially bypass waters under direct Iranian control. Tehran rejected the plan, claiming it was announced without consultation and raised safety concerns while mine clearance operations were still ongoing. Iran neither claimed responsibility for the attack on the vessel off Oman on Thursday nor denied its involvement.

The latest attack has heightened fears that tensions over transit through the strait remain unresolved.

Why is the UN evacuating seafarers?

After the U.S.-Israel war with Iran erupted on February 28, Tehran and Washington imposed restrictions on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, leaving thousands of seafarers unable to leave ships stranded in the waterway.

More than a dozen seafarers have been killed in attacks on vessels — some from U.S. missiles, others from Iranian artillery. Most of the deceased were Indian nationals.

Even with last week's agreement between Washington and Tehran to end hostilities, over 11,000 seafarers remain trapped in the strait.

Announcing the evacuation plan on Tuesday, IMO Secretary-General Dominguez said the operation would be carried out in 'close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal states in the region, the United States, and the maritime industry.'

Oman's Ministry of Defense said the plan had been discussed for months and would be implemented in phases.

Denmark also announced on Tuesday that it would join a multinational maritime mission led by France and the UK to help restore safe navigation through the strait.

Why was the ship attacked?

The Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely was struck by an 'unknown object' while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.

Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic showed the vessel had taken the southern route proposed by the IMO that same day — a corridor closer to the Omani coast that Iran had rejected.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the ship had completed its transit through the strait and was continuing its journey, confirming all 21 crew members were safe.

Singapore authorities expressed 'deep concern' over the attack, which they described as 'unprovoked, unjustifiable and a violation of international law.'

The incident prompted the IMO to suspend its evacuation plan for stranded seafarers. Dominguez noted that the Ever Lovely 'was not undertaking a transit under the IMO evacuation framework.'

'I have always emphasized that the safety of seafarers is paramount. Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and maritime safety, the evacuation plan will be suspended until further clarity is obtained,' he said.

What does Iran say?

Although it remains unclear whether Iran carried out the attack, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) criticized the new shipping corridor announced by Oman and the IMO, warning that transit through the strait 'can only be done through routes announced by Iran,' according to state broadcaster IRIB.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed for vessels transiting with 'vague agreements, parallel routes, or decision-making outside Iran's considerations as a coastal state.'

Iran first published a map of approved maritime routes in April, directing vessels closer to its coastline than before the conflict.

The IRGC's latest warning came after a Liberia-flagged oil tanker transited the strait on Thursday using a route closer to Oman's coast.

On Friday, three more foreign oil tankers attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz 'without permission' and were turned back after warnings from the IRGC, Iran's state television reported.

Analysts say control over the Strait of Hormuz has long been one of Tehran's most important strategic leverage points, allowing it to pressure the United States.

Why was the evacuation plan suspended?

Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar Atas in Tehran said the attack appeared to show Iran's willingness to enforce its warnings about transit through the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran asserted that vessels using either Iranian or Omani routes must coordinate with Iranian authorities.

'Yesterday, Oman announced new routes for vessels. But then the IRGC issued a statement, saying that whether a ship transits through Iranian or Omani territorial waters, they need to fully coordinate with Iranian authorities,' Atas said.

'And if they violate this, Iran will act accordingly. The question was whether Iran would actually act. The answer is yes. Now, we have seen an oil tanker attacked by artillery fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards did not claim responsibility but did not deny it either.'

Atas added that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi also warned that any shipping agreement reached without considering Iran's status as a coastal state would be unacceptable.

'Perhaps, in the coming days and weeks, we will see the Strait of Hormuz as one of the main sticking points.'

What other disputes remain?

Under last week's memorandum of understanding, Iran agreed to 'make arrangements, using its best efforts, to ensure the safety of commercial vessels transiting without tolls, for 60 days, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.'

While the agreement states that commercial activity would resume immediately, it also acknowledges that mines laid during the conflict must be cleared first, stating that 'the Islamic Republic of Iran's mine clearance work will be completed within 30 days.'

It also provides for discussions between Iran, Oman, and other Gulf states on future arrangements to manage transit through the waterway.

However, the agreement does not specify what happens after the initial 60-day period.

Last week, Tehran announced it would waive all transit fees for those 60 days while negotiations with the United States continued in Switzerland, raising the possibility that fees could be imposed if a broader agreement is not reached.

Iran's lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also suggested Tehran has no intention of returning to the pre-war status quo.

'Hormuz will never return' to its pre-conflict operational state, he said. The proposal has also faced opposition from the United States and some Gulf states.

Are vessels still transiting the strait?

Commercial shipping has gradually resumed, though traffic remains far below normal levels. Before the conflict, between 120 and 140 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily.

According to maritime analytics company Kpler, 54 commercial and energy vessels were confirmed to have transited the strait on Thursday, down from 70 confirmed transits the previous day.

'West-to-East movements dominated, while the Oman Route accounted for the largest share of identified itineraries. However, route transparency remains incomplete, with some crossings recorded as Dark or Unknown.'

'A reported projectile launch targeting a cargo vessel southeast of Dahit, Oman, adds to operational risk, highlighting the gap between improving physical flow and still-fragile maritime security conditions,' Kpler added.