Ships creep back through Strait of Hormuz after drone attack

Commercial shipping is beginning to creep back through the Strait of Hormuz after a drone strike on a merchant vessel off Oman briefly disrupted a U.N.-backed effort to move ships through one of the world’s most important waterways.

The reported June 25 attack damaged the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, according to AP. AP said a U.S. official blamed an Iranian drone operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. No injuries or environmental damage were reported.

The incident triggered a pause in the International Maritime Organization’s evacuation plan for ships in and around the strait while officials reviewed the safety of the corridor. The route had been intended to help move stranded vessels through safer passages near Oman.

By June 26, reporting indicated that tanker traffic was starting to resume, but only cautiously and at a lighter pace than normal.

How the disruption unfolded

The first warning signs came a day earlier, when Iran warned ships not to use routes outside its authorization, according to reporting. Soon after, the Ever Lovely was hit off Oman near the Strait of Hormuz.

AP said the vessel sustained damage, including to its bridge area, but there were no injuries and no pollution was reported.

The pause in the evacuation effort showed how quickly a single attack can affect navigation in a chokepoint that handles a major share of global oil shipping and commercial traffic.

Why Hormuz matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for the global energy market. Even a limited disruption can ripple through oil flows, shipping schedules and freight costs.

That is why the U.N.-backed routing arrangement drew close attention from governments and shipping operators watching the region for signs of escalation or restraint.

Iran publicly objected to transit outside its designated routes and said such traffic would not be covered by safe-passage guarantees. A U.S. official quoted by AP said Washington remained committed to keeping ships able to transit the strait.

What happens next

The immediate questions are whether the IMO restores the route, extends the pause or revises the plan again if conditions worsen.

Officials and shipping operators are also watching for any further incidents near Oman or the strait, along with formal responses from Iran, Oman, the United States or maritime agencies.

For now, the return of some traffic suggests the route is not closed. But the resumed flow remains tentative, and the security outlook around Hormuz is still unsettled.