A drone struck the Singapore-flagged container ship M/V Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, causing minor damage to the vessel’s bridge and zero injuries. What happened next is where things get interesting for crypto markets: Iran is now demanding Bitcoin payments from commercial ships that want to transit one of the most critical waterways on the planet.
The attack, attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), hit the 8,508 TEU vessel roughly 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman. The Ever Lovely, owned by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine, continued its journey.
US strikes back, threat level climbs
US Central Command responded the following day with airstrikes targeting four Iranian military sites, including missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar installations along the Strait and on Qeshm Island. US officials described the operation as a “powerful response” but emphasized its limited scope.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) both issued alerts. The IMO temporarily suspended planned evacuations for vessels stranded in the area since Iran effectively blocked shipping routes starting February 28.
