UN pauses Strait of Hormuz evacuation plan after cargo ship attacked

The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has paused the planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after a cargo ship passing through the waterway was attacked. IMO chief Arsenio Dominguez said several boats had already been evacuated, but the agency wanted to ensure that "necessary safety guarantees" would continue to be in place. The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported on Thursday that a ship had been struck 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman's port of Dahit by "an unknown projectile". No casualties were reported. Maritime risk management firm Vanguard said the ship, Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, continued through strait despite the attack. Hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors have been stranded in the Gulf since February because of the US-Israel war against Iran. The UN evacuation effort was only announced on Tuesday following the reopening of the strait, with Dominguez saying the "large-scale operation" had the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry. Dominguez said in a statement on Thursday that the vessel that was attacked "did not transit under IMO's evacuation framework". "I have always reiterated that the safety of the seafarers remains paramount. Therefore, to ensure a coordinated approach and navigational safety, the evacuation plan will be paused until further clarity is obtained," he added. …