IMO halts Hormuz evacuation plan after Evergreen ship is hit near Oman

The International Maritime Organization has suspended a plan to help vessels leave the Middle East Gulf after a container ship was hit by an unknown projectile near Oman on Thursday. The pause affects an effort intended to move hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has recovered only partly from wartime lows, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the IMO, said the United Nations agency was temporarily stopping the initiative to check that safety assurances remained in place for ships on its evacuation list and for other vessels in the area. The agency had launched the arrangement on Tuesday as shipowners sought a path out of the Gulf following an interim U.S.-Iran peace agreement that paused hostilities for 60 days while negotiations on a permanent settlement continued.

The struck ship was Singapore-flagged and owned by Evergreen, according to Lloyd’s List. Dominguez said the vessel was not sailing under the IMO evacuation framework when it was attacked. A U.S. official told MS Now that Iran was responsible for the incident. Separately, when asked about the attack, a U.S. official said Washington was aware of the reports and was examining them, adding that President Donald Trump had said Iran could not interfere with free passage through the strait.

Evergreen, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry and Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to CNBC requests for comment.

Route dispute raises risk for operators

The IMO plan offered two exit options: a northern passage through Iranian waters and a southern passage through Omani waters with U.S. oversight, according to the agency’s earlier guidance. The route design matters because the Strait of Hormuz is a narrow chokepoint between the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and security guarantees from coastal states and naval forces can determine whether insurers, charterers and shipowners are willing to authorize a transit.

Iran’s military challenged the southern option on Wednesday, warning ships not to use the IMO-approved route and saying any new Hormuz passage created without Tehran’s consent was “unacceptable and dangerous.” The warning came as Iran sought to assert control over movement through the energy corridor.

At least two vessels reversed course while trying to leave the Middle East Gulf, Lloyd’s reported, after Iran insisted that ships use routes authorized by Tehran. Both vessels had been following the southern route near the Omani coast, according to Lloyd’s.

Hormuz flows remain below pre-war levels

Vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz have improved since the ceasefire but remain below levels seen before the conflict, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. In the week after the ceasefire, 125 ships transited the strait, the highest weekly count since the war began in late February, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said.

The IMO’s decision underscores how fragile the reopening of Gulf maritime traffic remains. For shipowners, a pause in a coordinated exit mechanism can extend delays for crews and cargoes already waiting inside the Gulf. For energy markets and policymakers, disruption around Hormuz carries broader significance because the waterway is a key route for seaborne oil and gas exports from the region.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC Economy.