The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has officially suspended its massive plan for a controlled evacuation of the blocked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The decision was taken urgently after a civilian container ship was hit by a shell off the coast of Oman, which exploded oil prices on international markets, Al Jazeera reported.
Details of the incident
The Strike: The Singapore-flagged ship „Ever Lovely“ was hit by an „unknown projectile“. The attack caused serious material damage to the captain's bridge, but fortunately no one on board was injured. US intelligence sources point to Iran as the direct perpetrator of the attack.
Political context: The incident comes just a week after the US and Iran signed a historic memorandum for a 60-day ceasefire aimed at opening the shipping channel that Tehran blocked in late February.
Tax War: The reason for the renewed tension is the insistence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that all passing ships use only corridors approved by Tehran and pay “maritime service fees“. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio categorically rejected this, stating that the Strait of Hormuz is an international strait and the US will not allow any tariffs to be imposed.
