IMO Suspends Evacuation of 600 Ships After Drone Strike Hits Hormuz Cargo Vessel

3 articles · Updated · ABC News · Jun 26

Arsenio Dominguez paused the IMO-led evacuation mission after a projectile hit a cargo ship 14 kilometres off Oman, halting efforts to move about 600 ships and 11,000 sailors trapped in the Gulf.
Trump called the strike a “foolish” breach of the April 8 ceasefire, while UKMTO said the vessel’s bridge was damaged and no casualties were reported.
115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers had already been evacuated since Tuesday, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned ships not to use the new Omani corridor unless routes were approved by Tehran.
42 commodity vessels crossed Hormuz on Thursday, down from 57 on Wednesday, and 29 had crossed by Friday afternoon; roughly half used the southern Omani passage despite the attack.
Brent crude fell more than 5% on reopening hopes, but shipping analysts said the traffic rebound reflects pent-up demand rather than a return to safety in a waterway that carries about a fifth of global oil and gas exports.