Iran warns ships outside designated zones cannot be guaranteed safe passage through Strait of Hormuz

Iranian authorities warned that they cannot guarantee the safety of vessels that do not use their designated shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, following an attack on a cargo ship passing through the waterway.

The Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman Strait Authority (PGSA), established by the Iranian government to manage transit through the Strait of Hormuz, said Thursday on X that it "cannot guarantee safe passage for vessels using routes outside our designated zones, and such vessels will be excluded from insurance coverage and related liability compensation."

The authority then warned that "full responsibility for all consequences arising from the use of unauthorized routes lies solely with the shipowner, ship operator and captain."

Earlier that day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a cargo ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by a projectile.

According to British maritime risk management firm Vanguard and maritime sources, the vessel hit was the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely. The ship's owner, Taiwan's Evergreen, did not respond to queries on the matter.

A maritime security source told Reuters it was not clear who carried out the attack, but that a drone may have targeted the vessel.

Anonymous US officials said Iran was responsible for the attack.

Earlier Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said safe passage through the strait would only be guaranteed for ships using Iran-designated routes, and warned it would take action against vessels that did not comply.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced June 24 that it had launched an operation to move ships through the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman providing a temporary transit corridor for that purpose.