The International Maritime Organisation has suspended ship evacuations through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was struck by a projectile off Oman's coast.
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the evacuation pause would remain in place until safety could be assured for ships on the evacuation list and operating in the region. The attacked vessel was not part of the UN evacuation effort.
The vessel sustained damage but no injuries or environmental effects were reported. The identity of who launched the projectile and the type of targeted vessel remained unclear.
Iranian warnings escalate
Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval arm issued a warning against using a new UN-backed shipping route through the strait. Revolutionary Guard naval officials called the route unacceptable and completely dangerous, saying it was established without notice or coordination.
"The only authorised route for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran," Revolutionary Guard naval officials said. "Vessel traffic outside these routes is extremely dangerous and prohibited. Violators will be dealt with."
On 24 June, the Guard threatened a tanker over radio, with a soldier warning the vessel: "You are in range of my missiles and maybe (I) fire on you."
Iran established a new government agency called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to control shipping in the strait. The authority warned that transit outside its designated routes would not be covered by safe passage guarantees.
New corridor and traffic recovery
Oman and the International Maritime Organisation established the alternative route after Iran mined the central corridor passage following US and Israeli attacks on 28 February 2026. At least one mine has been sighted in the central strait corridor.
On 25 June, oil tankers travelled the UAE and Oman route, with the Stoic Warrior leading vessels close to Oman's Musandam Peninsula shore.
Shipping traffic through the waterway has increased in recent weeks. 125 vessels crossed the strait last week, up from 33 the week before. Wednesday saw 78 transits, the most since the war began, though still below the daily prewar average of 130 or more.
The strait normally transports about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas. Oil briefly dipped below $73 per barrel, its last prewar price.
US diplomatic efforts
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained committed to the new route and to ensuring ships can transit the strait. "If that stops, then we're going to have a problem," Rubio said.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding giving them 60 days to finalise peace deal details. The two countries are debating terms including strait transit and Iran's enriched uranium stockpile.
Rubio met with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers to assure them their interests would be protected in any Iran agreement. "There is no part in this deal that's undertaken that in any way undermines the security, the stability or the prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region," Rubio said.
Bahrain's foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said it was "critically important that Iran adheres to its obligations".
Shipping company Maersk said its container ship Maersk Baltimore and another chartered vessel exited the strait on Thursday.