Current sectionMiddle East UpdatesMove comes after newly formed Iranian authority says that security of vessels passing outside designated Hormuz routes is not guaranteedShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeOil tanker JORYA sails at the sea near the Omani coast, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Credit: REUTERSOil tanker JORYA sails at the sea near the Omani coast, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer Credit: REUTERSA United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman following the passage of several tankers that used a route backed by the UNThe head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was targeted. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route through the strait without Tehran's permission.Haaretz PodcastThe Israeli far-right’s West Bank land grab and why it's a ticking time bombHaaretz PodcastThe Israeli far-right’s West Bank land grab and why it's a ticking time bombtotal-- : --time0:00The vessel that was attacked was not part of the evacuation effort, said Arsenio Dominguez, the UN agency's secretary-general.Following reports of the attack, Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority — a new government agency established to control shipping in the strait — wrote on X that transit outside its own designated routes "will not be covered by the guarantee of safe passage."The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the vessel sustained damage, but it reported no injuries or environmental effects from the attack off the coast of Oman.The opening of an alternative passage through the vital waterway would relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran's main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to the Gulf to reassure American allies, said Washington was committed to the new route and ensuring that ships are able to transit the strait.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) attends a meeting with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states in Manama, Bahrain, Thursday. Credit: Eric Lee/AP U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C) attends a meeting with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states in Manama, Bahrain, Thursday. Credit: Eric Lee/AP "If that stops, then we're going to have a problem," Rubio said Thursday before the report of the strike on the ship.Traffic through the strait increased in recent days but was still well below prewar levels. Oil on Thursday briefly dipped below its last prewar price of just under $73 per barrel, a sign that the market believes the situation is improving.Following the Islamabad MoU and official directives, vessels that submit compliant transit requests will be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the announced period.