The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fired projectiles at commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on June 25, hitting the Singapore-flagged container ship M/V Ever Lovely near the Omani coast. The vessel sustained damage to its bridge and upper deck but reported no casualties and continued its transit.
The Strait of Hormuz typically facilitates 20-25% of global seaborne oil trade.
What happened and why it’s escalating
The attack on the Ever Lovely, struck approximately 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Dahit, Oman, represents a significant escalation in an IRGC campaign that has been building since February 2026. Over the past several months, Iran has progressively asserted control over commercial shipping through the strait, boarding vessels, issuing warnings that unauthorized transits are “illegal,” and deploying gunboats that have fired on ships between April and June.
The US military responded with retaliatory strikes targeting Iranian missile and drone facilities. Shipping routes are being rerouted and insurance premiums are spiking.
