The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has temporarily suspended evacuation operations in the Strait of Hormuz after the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely was attacked in the Gulf of Oman. The incident has rocked the region, as the evacuation plan was launched just two days ago to help more than 11,000 sailors and hundreds of ships stranded by the US-Iran conflict.
Key facts about the attack
• Target: Singapore-flagged ship Ever Lovely.
• Location: Gulf of Oman, about 7.5 nautical miles southeast of the port of Dahit, Oman.
• Consequences: An unidentified projectile (suspected to be a drone) struck the starboard side of the ship and damaged the bridge. There were no injuries or environmental contamination, and the crew is safe.
• Responsibility: US officials say Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is behind the attack.
Why was the operation suspended?
Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the UN International Maritime Organization, stressed that the stricken ship was not sailing under the IMO’s agreed-upon system. An “IMO corridor” (or humanitarian maritime corridor) is usually a safe route for ships under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Such corridors are established in crisis zones to transport humanitarian aid or to protect international trade, such as in the Black Sea or the Persian Gulf.
However, in order to ensure maximum security, the evacuation is being suspended until security guarantees are reaffirmed with the countries in the region.
The friction is also due to the IRGC’s firm statement that safe navigation through the strait is possible only via routes established by Iran, and any other attempts will be met with a response. This is in direct conflict with the newly agreed Oman-IMO corridor.
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