Iran attacked a cargo ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Citing two US officials, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported this information. Tehran has attacked a ship in Hormuz for the first time since the peace agreement between the US and Iran.
The Singapore-flagged ship Ever Lovely was sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The ship was attacked 7.5 nautical miles from the port of Dahit, Oman.
British agency UKMTO said the ship was targeted by heavy objects thrown from the air. This organization monitors worldwide shipping and its security. The ship was damaged by the Iranian attack, but no one was injured, the agency said.
It is not clear why the attack came as there are signs of peace and stability returning to West Asia and Hormuz following a peace deal with the US. But before the incident, Iran’s paramilitary forces issued a warning that no ships could pass through the strait without their permission. Tehran is believed to have made the announcement to maintain its authority over the narrow strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Incidentally, the ship was attacked only after this warning. Questions have been raised as to whether the ship is being “punished” for failing to comply with Iranian authorities. The future of the peace agreement is also in question. Because the terms of the peace treaty include free passage of ships through Hormuz. Despite the formal agreement, Iran has made it clear that the situation in Hormuz will not be the same as it was before the war.
Following the Iranian attack, the UN-backed International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided to temporarily suspend rescue operations in the Strait of Hormuz to rescue stranded ships and evacuate their crews to safety.