- WIADOMOŚCI
IMO suspends evacuation after Iranian drone attack
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended the evacuation operation to remove ships and sailors trapped in the Persian Gulf. The reason for halting the operation was an Iranian attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors are awaiting evacuation. According to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, the attacked vessel was not subject to the evacuation procedure. “I have decided to temporarily suspend the implementation of this operation to confirm that the necessary security guarantees still apply to the vessels on our evacuation list and all others in the region.”
The decision followed an announcement by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine that its vessel was struck by a drone near the coast of Oman, on a route recommended by the British naval agency UKMTO. The attack was most likely conducted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. “The crew, vessel, and cargo are all safe,” Evergreen said in a statement. “The vessel has safely departed the Strait of Hormuz.”
The IMO operation was launched on Tuesday, June 23. Ships had the opportunity to sail out of the Persian Gulf via one of two lanes leading through the Strait of Hormuz: one through Iranian waters and the other controlled by Oman and the United States. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated on Thursday that all vessels passing through the strait must exclusively use routes designated by Iran. It warned that the IRGC would take action against units that fail to comply with this requirement. Citing Iranian television, the Iran International portal reported that, as of now, three foreign tankers have changed their course following warnings from Iran.
Despite the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and the signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved. The parties do not agree on the rules for using the route. Iran blocked the strait at the turn of February and March following U.S. and Israeli attacks on its territory. Numerous ships and their crews became trapped inside the Persian Gulf. The blockade also halted regional maritime oil exports, leading to a sharp increase in global prices for these fuels and commodities.
