Evacuation of 11,000 Seafarers in Strait of Hormuz Suspended
The planned evacuation of more than 11,000 seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz area has been temporarily halted after a cargo ship was attacked whilst transiting the strategic shipping lane. The incident has reignited concerns over maritime security in one of the world’s vital energy trade arteries.
The head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, stated that some crew members had already been successfully evacuated. However, the large-scale operation has now been suspended until there is a guarantee of safety for the seafarers.
"The safety of seafarers is always the top priority. To ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, we have paused the evacuation plan until the situation becomes clearer," Dominguez said, as quoted by the BBC.
Earlier, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of the Port of Dahit, Oman, on Thursday local time. No casualties were reported in the incident.
Maritime risk management firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, which continued its voyage despite being targeted. Several US officials, cited by local media, accused Iran of firing on the ship, though no official confirmation has come from Tehran.
According to a Wall Street Journal report citing MarineTraffic tracking data, the Ever Lovely was leading a convoy of five ships transiting the southern route in accordance with the IMO’s recommended shipping corridor. The attacked vessel was not part of the official evacuation scheme coordinated by the IMO, and crew members in the convoy reported receiving no radio warnings prior to the attack.
The suspension of the evacuation operation is a setback for thousands of seafarers who have been stranded in the Gulf region since the US-Israel conflict with Iran erupted in February. Hundreds of ships remain stuck due to the high security risks.
The international evacuation programme was only announced earlier this week following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The operation involved cooperation between Iran, Oman, the United States, regional coastal states, and the shipping industry.
However, tensions flared again after Iranian authorities controlling traffic in the Strait of Hormuz warned vessels to remain within designated lanes. They stressed that ships choosing to transit outside the official corridor would not receive safety guarantees during their passage.