‘An unknown projectile’ hits Singapore-flagged ship Ever Lovely while crossing Strait of Hormuz

SINGAPORE: A Singapore-flagged cargo ship was struck by an object as it crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday (June 25), causing the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) to pause its programme to evacuate seafarers from the waterway.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported from the incident, and the vessel, the Ever Lovely, continued through the strait, BBC quoted the maritime risk management firm Vanguard as saying. The firm added that the ship did not need any assistance as it exited the strait.

The object, reported as “an unknown projectile”, struck the ship 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, an Omani port. 

“A cargo vessel has been hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge. Master has reported no casualties and no environmental impact,” according to the British Navy agency UKMTO.

Two US officials, speaking to several news organisations on the condition of anonymity, said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had used a drone to strike the Ever Lovely, although Iran has not commented on the incident.

The IMO has been endeavouring since June 23 to help more than 11,000 seafarers who have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict in the area began on February 28, when the United States and Israel started bombing Iran.

With the Ever Lovely being struck, Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez announced that IMO will “temporarily pause its implementation to reconfirm that the necessary safety guarantees continue to be in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all those in the region.”

He had said on Tuesday that IMO’s “large-scale operation” had the cooperation from Iran, Oman, and the US, as well as other coastal states in the region, and the maritime industry

The vessel, however, was not part of the IMO’s programme, which is a voluntary option for vessels to move out of the Gulf via Omani or Iranian waters under the oversight of the US.

The price of oil has been going down since the memorandum of understanding to end hostilities was signed by the US and Iran on June 17. However, it rose by 1.9% again after the vessel was struck, due to concerns over how long it will take for traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal. /TISG

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