The International Maritime Organization on Thursday paused an effort to evacuate ships stuck in the Persian Gulf after a vessel was attacked crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
The new attack threatens the fragile ceasefire signed by Iran and the U.S. last week, which requires Iran to restore normal shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz. Ship traffic through the waterway has steadily increased since the agreement was signed, though it remains well below prewar levels.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement that he had paused the evacuation effort after the attack on the vessel, which was not transiting under the United Nations-chartered organization’s framework.
“I have decided to temporarily pause its implementation in order 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,” Dominguez said.
