UN agency pauses evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after attack on vessel
World UN agency pauses evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after attack on vessel June 26, 20261:36 AM ET By The Associated Press A man stands beside a fishing pole along the shore as cargo ships and...
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Key developments are emerging from the global stage. World UN agency pauses evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after attack on vessel June 26, 20261:36 AM ET By The Associated Press A man stands beside a fishing pole along the shore as cargo ships and commercial vessels are seen in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP Photo/Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA hide caption toggle caption Amirhosein Khorgooi/AP Photo/Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman following the passage of several tankers that used a route backed by the U. The head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.
Sponsor Message World Iran claims Hormuz closure, U. says ships still passing The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route through the strait without Tehran's permission. The vessel that was attacked was not part of the evacuation effort, said Arsenio Dominguez, the U.
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agency's secretary-general. official told The Associated Press that the vessel was hit by an Iranian drone. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation, said the merchant vessel Ever Lovely was attacked by a drone being flown by the Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Following reports of the attack, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority — a new government agency established to control shipping in the strait — wrote on X that transit outside its own designated routes "will not be covered by the guarantee of safe passage. " Throughline From Hormuz to Suez: the chokepoints of global power The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the vessel sustained damage, but it reported no injuries or environmental effects from the attack off the coast of Oman. An alternative passage would relieve pressure on economy The opening of an alternative passage through the vital waterway would relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran's main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to the Gulf to reassure American allies, said Washington was committed to the new route and ensuring that ships are able to transit the strait. Sponsor Message "If that stops, then we're going to have a problem," Rubio said Thursday before the report of the strike on the ship. Traffic through the strait increased in recent days but was still well below prewar levels.
Oil on Thursday briefly dipped below its last prewar price of just under $73 per barrel, a sign that the market believes the situation is improving.
The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.
