Iran reportedly attacks cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, multiple media outlets reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, wrote that a one-way attack drone went to the west side of the vessel before striking it, inferring the attack was deliberate.
U.K. Maritime Trade Operations said the incident happened southeast of Dahit, Oman. While there was damage to the side of the ship’s bridge, no casualties or environmental impacts were reported, according to UKMTO.
The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization announced Tuesday it would start evacuating ships stranded in the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. After the attack, though, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, said the evacuation plan would pause “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.”
“Seafarer safety remains paramount,” Dominguez said.
Opening the Strait of Hormuz is one of the key requirements of the 60-day ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran. On Saturday, Iran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes against Lebanon, though U.S. officials maintained it was still open.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned Thursday that vessels’ passage “outside designated routes are not covered by the Safe Passage Guarantee, insurance, or related liabilities.”
“Any consequences arising from unauthorized routing shall be the sole responsibility of the vessel owner, charterer, and master,” it said.
Straight Arrow reached out to the White House for comment.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
