According to two senior American officials, cited by the Wall Street Journal, the target was the cargo ship Ever Lovely, which was sailing near the coast of Oman.
The attack caused damage to the ship’s bridge, without however causing any injuries among the crew, according to the British agency UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The incident occurred a few hours after the navy of the Revolutionary Guards warned all commercial ships not to use routes in the Strait of Hormuz that have not been approved by the Iranian authorities.
In fact, according to the Revolutionary Guards, three tankers moving via the southern route, which had been designated as part of the evacuation operation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), were ordered to return, while the maritime intelligence company Windward reported that a total of five ships reversed course.
The attack also had immediate consequences for the international operation to decongest the area.
The International Maritime Organization announced that it is temporarily suspending the operation to guide the hundreds of ships that remained trapped in the Persian Gulf, in order to reassess the safety guarantees for navigation.
The Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, clarified, however, that the ship that was attacked was not participating in the Organization’s escort program.
The attack creates new uncertainty around the agreement signed last week by the United States and Iran.
As part of the agreement, Tehran has committed to making every possible effort for the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, while in exchange Washington proceeded with a significant easing of sanctions, once again allowing exports of Iranian oil even in dollars.
Until today, the agreement had begun to gradually restore the confidence of shipping companies. Just on Wednesday, ship crossings had increased to 70 to 80, the highest level since the start of the war, although they still lagged significantly behind the approximately 130 daily crossings recorded before the conflict.
The new incident, however, raises doubts as to whether free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz can now be taken for granted.
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