Iran Suspected of Attacking Singapore-Flagged Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is suspected of attacking a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing US officials and sailors. The Iranian Navy did not issue any radio warning to the vessels nor order them to turn back before opening fire, the report stated. No one was injured in the incident, but the ship’s control centre was damaged. On Tuesday, International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez announced the start of an evacuation of thousands of seafarers from ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, disrupted by the suspected attack. Dominguez later noted that the damaged vessel was not transiting under the IMO evacuation effort. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Wednesday that more than 70 ships carrying approximately 20 million barrels of oil had moved through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. The document also sets a deadline for the US to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and for Iran to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also committed not to acquire nuclear weapons, and the issue of its nuclear programme will be resolved through a separate agreement. Both sides will hold negotiations on the matter within 60 days. For Tehran, the lifting of sanctions remains a top priority.