- A cargo ship near Oman suffered damage; US blames Iran.
- International maritime body suspends Hormuz escort programme.
- Incident complicates US-Iran peace, impacts global oil markets.
A fresh security scare in the Strait of Hormuz has cast doubt over the durability of the tentative peace process between the United States and Iran after a cargo vessel was struck near Oman, prompting the United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to suspend its newly launched escort initiative.
Cargo Ship Damaged As Maritime Security Concerns Resurface
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a cargo ship sustained damage after being struck near the coast of Oman on Thursday. Authorities confirmed there were no injuries among the crew and no environmental pollution resulting from the incident.
Four sources identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely. One security official indicated that the ship was likely targeted by a drone. Meanwhile, two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran was responsible for firing on the vessel. Tehran, however, did not directly acknowledge the allegation.
Instead, Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority maintained that ships operating outside its designated navigation corridors would not receive security assurances.
The authority warned that “consequences arising from passage through unauthorized routes shall be the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander.”
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IMO Suspends Escort Programme Pending Safety Review
In response to the attack, the IMO announced that it would temporarily halt its escort programme, which had only been launched earlier this week as a voluntary measure to facilitate safer passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez explained the decision, saying the organisation had chosen “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 also clarified that the Ever Lovely was not participating in its escort programme. The initiative had offered two optional transit routes—one through Iranian-controlled waters and another via Omani waters under U.S. oversight.
Fragile US-Iran Peace Process Faces Fresh Test
The maritime incident comes at a sensitive moment, with Washington and Tehran working under a memorandum of understanding signed last week that provides a 60-day window to negotiate the terms of an interim peace agreement.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Iran failed to comply with the deal, the United States would “probably go back to bombing the country again.”
During a visit to the Gulf region, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also underscored the importance of maintaining uninterrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, stating: “If that stops, then we’re going to have a problem.”
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Oil Markets React To Renewed Uncertainty
The latest attack quickly reverberated through global energy markets. Benchmark crude oil prices climbed about 2% as traders weighed the possibility of renewed disruptions to shipping through the Gulf.
Although vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has gradually recovered in recent days, shipping volumes remain below levels seen before the conflict. Oil prices had briefly slipped below the prewar benchmark of $73 per barrel, reflecting cautious optimism that normal trade could resume. However, Thursday’s incident has once again raised concerns that instability in the region may continue to threaten one of the world’s most critical maritime trade routes.
