Key facts
- The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has paused its evacuation plan for ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- A cargo vessel reported being hit by a projectile near Oman.
- Iran had warned vessels against using routes it had not approved.
- Benchmark oil prices rose following the reported attack.
- The IMO is reconfirming safety guarantees for ships in the region.
The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel reported an attack near Oman, reigniting fears over maritime security. The cargo ship said it was hit by a projectile, according to the British navy agency UKMTO, hours after Tehran warned vessels against taking routes it had not approved. Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship, while Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority stated that vessels outside designated routes would not be guaranteed safe passage. The IMO was assisting hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated the program was paused to ensure safety guarantees are available. The ship involved in the suspected attack was not part of the IMO's evacuation program. Benchmark oil prices rose 1.9% following the reported attack, rekindling concerns about Gulf oil flows. The incident is likely to refocus attention on Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict handled a fifth of the world's daily oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously warned that threats or blockades in the strait would cause problems. Iran's Revolutionary Guards asserted that safe passage would only be possible through routes designated by Iran and that action would be taken against non-compliant vessels. Earlier, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright noted that shipments through the strait were approaching pre-conflict levels. During the conflict, Iran had taken effective control of the vital choke point, disrupting oil flows.