The United States and Iran each accused the other of breaching the ceasefire after a June 25 drone attack on the Singapore-flagged M/V Ever Lovely near Oman and subsequent U.S. strikes on Iranian sites linked to maritime operations near the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said the vessel was hit while exiting the Strait along the Omani coast. It said U.S. forces then carried out limited strikes on missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites, while maintaining escort and safe-passage coordination for commercial shipping.
Iran said the incident showed that shipping arrangements in the area cannot ensure safe passage unless Iran’s role as a coastal state is recognized, and said transit governance should be handled by Iran and Oman under the terms of the interim arrangement. A joint U.S. and Gulf Cooperation Council statement called for free, unconditional and unrestricted navigation through the Strait and rejected tolls, fees and attempts to assert control over passage.
Iranian media reported that some foreign tankers were warned or turned back for unauthorized passage, and Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said vessels sailing outside designated routes do so at the responsibility of the owner, operator and commander. The International Maritime Organization said it paused its evacuation framework after the attack and said the vessel involved had not used that framework. Oil prices fell despite the dispute, while partial signs of resumed flows included Saudi Aramco loadings restarting at Ras Tanura.