Photo. @PolymarketIntel/X.com
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has suspended its operation to evacuate ships and crew stranded in the Persian Gulf.
The reason for halting the operation was an Iranian attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, News.Az reports, citing Defence24.
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.”