A Singapore-flagged cargo ship was hit by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (25 June).
It is believed that the vessel, which is owned by Taiwanese container shipping company Evergreen, was likely attacked.
The ship named Ever Lovely was struck 7.5 nautical miles (14 kilometres) southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit.
Source: 船舶物語 Vessel Story on Facebook
“A cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge,” said the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) security agency.
It also reported that there were no casualties or environmental impact from the incident.
Maritime risk management firm Vanguard also said the ship continued its journey through the Strait of Hormuz despite the attack.
Another British maritime security company, Ambrey, said that the vessel was likely targeted by a drone, based on initial assessments.
While it remains unclear who carried out the strike, US officials claimed Iran had fired on the ship, the BBC reported.
Following the attack, the newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) wrote on X, “Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees and will not be entitled to insurance coverage or related liabilities”.
Source: @PGSA_IRAN on X
On the same day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards echoed this, adding that it will take action against vessels that failed to comply, Malay Mail reported.
The UN International Maritime Organization to put its plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf on hold until it can confirm the safety of the ships in the evacuation list and in the region.
The affected vessel was not part of the evacuation effort, said the organisation’s secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez.
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Featured image adapted from kees torn via Wikimedia Commons for illustration purposes only.