Chaos ensues! The IMO suspends ship evacuation plans in the Persian Gulf after a cargo ship was attacked near Oman.

Chaos ensues! The IMO suspends plans to evacuate ships and crews stranded in the Persian Gulf after a container ship was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, while the US believes Iran may be behind the attack.

June 26, 2569 at 09.08:XNUMX a.m., CNBC reported that The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced the temporary suspension of its plan to evacuate cargo ships and their crews stranded in the Middle East. Following an attack on a container ship in the Gulf of Oman.

The decision comes after a container ship was struck by an unidentified object near the coast of Oman on Thursday (June 26). A US official told MS Now that Iran is believed to be behind the attack.

Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the IMO. The specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) stated that the evacuation plan would be temporarily suspended to reassess and re-confirm that safety measures for vessels on the evacuation list, as well as all vessels operating in the area, remain adequately in effect.

US officials said the government was aware of the report and was investigating the facts, reiterating that President Donald Trump has a clear position that Iran should not obstruct freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier this week, the IMO launched an evacuation program on Tuesday to help hundreds of cargo ships and thousands of crew members still stranded in the Persian Gulf. It outlined two shipping routes: a northern route through Iranian waters and a southern route through Omani waters, which are under US supervision.

Shipping operators have begun reusing the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Iran reached a 60-day ceasefire to pave the way for permanent peace negotiations. Although shipping volume is recovering, it remains below pre-war levels.

Data from Lloyd's List Intelligence indicates that in the first week after the ceasefire, 125 ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, the highest number since the war began in late February.

However, on Wednesday, the Iranian military issued a warning against ships using the southern route designated by the IMO, stating that any new shipping lanes established without Iranian approval were "unacceptable and dangerous," reflecting Tehran's attempts to maintain influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy shipping route.

The report also stated that at least two ships had to turn back while departing the Persian Gulf after Iran insisted on using only routes approved by the Tehran government. Both ships were traveling along a southern route near the coast of Oman.

The vessel that was attacked was a container ship registered under the Singaporean flag and owned by the shipping giant Evergreen. The IMO stated that the ship was not sailing within the framework of the organization's evacuation plan.

refer : cnbc.com

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