Key takeaways:
- Trump said Iran fired at least four drones at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with one hitting the upper deck of a cargo vessel and three shot down by U.S. forces.
- The Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely was struck near Oman, but Evergreen said all crew, cargo and the vessel were safe and the ship continued its transit.
- The IMO paused an evacuation plan for more than 11,000 sailors after the attack, saying about 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers had crossed before the suspension.
U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran on Friday of violating its ceasefire with Washington after a cargo ship was hit by a projectile while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the International Maritime Organization to pause an evacuation plan for thousands of stranded sailors in the key shipping lane.
No casualties were reported in Thursday’s attack. The ship’s owner said the vessel suffered limited damage and safely continued its transit.
Trump, writing on Truth Social, said Iran had fired at least four drones at ships traveling through the strait and that U.S. forces shot down three of them. One drone, he said, struck the upper deck of a “large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship.”
“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,” Trump wrote. He said “damage was done, but the Ship was able to proceed on its way.”
Tehran has not directly responded to Trump’s accusation, though Iranian state media reported his remarks. Iranian state media also reported fresh assertions from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that the strait is Iran’s territory.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO said the ship was struck 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit by “an unknown projectile.” The vessel was the Ever Lovely, a Singapore-flagged ship owned by Evergreen. The company said it had been following the route recommended by UKMTO through the strait when it was hit.
“All crew members remain safe as does the vessel itself and all cargo,” Evergreen said.
The attack followed a warning from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that efforts to cross the strait along a route designated by the IMO would be “unacceptable and completely dangerous” and that vessels should coordinate with Iran.
IMO chief Dominguez said Thursday that the ship “did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework,” without providing further details. After the attack, the IMO paused its planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the waterway. Dominguez said Friday he was working with parties including the United States, Iran and Oman to obtain guarantees that vessels would not be targeted.
“As soon as I get further confirmations of that, we’re ready to re-initiate the process of evacuation,” he said.
The IMO said about 115 vessels carrying 2,500 seafarers had crossed the strait before the evacuation plan was suspended.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for oil and gas shipments, was reopened under a ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran earlier this month. After U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait, driving up global oil prices and restricting shipments of other commodities, including fertilizer.
The United States and Iran agreed to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding that called for Iran to use its “best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days.” Iran has repeatedly said it intends to charge maritime service fees for crossing the strait, rather than tolls, a plan opposed by the United States.
The Guardian reported that the United States and Iran are still negotiating terms of the interim peace deal, including access for ships through the strait and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out details.
Regional tensions were also evident Friday in the United Arab Emirates, where a missile warning sent to mobile phones in Dubai was later attributed to a technical glitch. The Guardian reported that the alert startled many residents and was the first such warning in Dubai since the interim ceasefire. Soon afterward, the UAE said Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and emphasized “the importance of full commitment” to the interim deal.
“Serious diplomacy and responsible dialogue are the optimal path for addressing all regional and international crises,” the UAE statement said.
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