Thousands of seafarers have been trapped in the region after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Getty ImagesThousands of seafarers have been trapped in the region after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Getty ImagesShip was travelling outside routes designated by IMO and Iran, UN agency saysThe NationalJune 26, 2026The UN shipping agency on Thursday paused efforts to get hundreds of stranded ships ‌and thousands of seafarers out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was attacked off the coast of Oman."I have been informed of an attack today ⁠in the Gulf of Oman on a vessel which passed through the Strait of Hormuz. This vessel did not transit under IMO’s evacuation framework," International Maritime Organisation Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.The container ship was reportedly sailing on a route that had not been designated by the IMO or Iran.The UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) also reported an incident 13.8km south-east of Dahit, in Oman's Musandam region, but no casualties were recorded.The UKMTO said in a statement that it would "not be conducting notifications to vessels regarding inclusion in IMO planning batches during this period".On Thursday, Iran seemed to confirm the attack that took place a day after Oman announced a temporary shipping transit corridor for the evacuations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' navy called the route the ship was sailing on “unacceptable and extremely dangerous”. “We warn all vessels to strictly refrain from any movement outside the designated routes,” it said. The IRGC will take action against vessels that do not follow its instructions, the group added.Maritime security company Vanguard said the ship, identified as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, continued to sail through the strait despite the attack. The evacuation routes announced by Oman on Wednesday include a northern corridor along the Iranian coast and another in the south near Oman. About 11,000 seafarers were expected to leave the strait under the plan. The routes were created as an alternative to the usual shipping corridor through the strait, which is considered too dangerous owing to Iranian sea mines placed there during the war. It could take up to six months to clear them.An IMO spokeswoman stressed the need to get the stranded seafarers out. "They're not military, they're not trained for these things. They're seafarers from India, the Philippines – it's been quite a challenge," she said. Before the latest attack, crossings through the strait had more than doubled as confidence improved after the US and Iran signed an interim deal on June 17. Issues regarding shipping tolls, demining efforts and control of the strait have not yet been resolved.Insurance is another hurdle. Oman's Royal Navy had emphasised that ships would transit the temporary route without fees or tolls. It added that each ship could conduct an independent risk assessment before starting its voyage. The IMO had said the new arrangements should give insurance companies more certainty, potentially giving more ships leeway to move through the temporary routes.Updated: June 26, 2026, 9:58 AM