By Trump calls Iranian strike in Strait of Hormuz ‘foolish’ violation of ceasefire
Donald Trump has accused Iran of a “foolish” violation of the Middle East ceasefire deal. (Reuters: Evan Vucci)
In short:
Donald Trump has accused Iran of a “foolish” violation of the Middle East ceasefire agreement.
The US president took to Truth Social after an Iranian drone attack on a cargo ship earlier this week.
Experts are warning the shipping crisis in the key waterway for oil is not over.
US President Donald Trump has slammed Iran for carrying out a drone attack in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “foolish” violation of the ceasefire in the Middle East war.
“One of the Drones solidly hit the upper deck of a large and very expensive Cargo Carrying Ship” while three others were shot down, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, in an apparent reference to an attack on a vessel the day before.
“Obviously, this is a foolish violation of our Ceasefire Agreement,”
he added.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on Thursday, local time, that a cargo ship in the strait was “hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile, causing damage to the bridge”, but reported no casualties.
It said the incident occurred just 14 kilometres off Oman’s coast.
The secretary general of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, then announced the suspension of efforts to evacuate some 600 ships and 11,000 sailors trapped in the Gulf by the war, which was launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8, but sporadic violence has continued in the Gulf region, including attacks on ships by Tehran’s forces and US strikes on Iran.
Hormuz traffic level drops
Traffic levels in the key waterway have fallen back from Wednesday’s high, but vessels continue to use a non-Iranian-approved passage, tracking platforms show.
At least 42 commodity vessels — including tankers carrying oil, gas, and dry bulk such as fertilisers — crossed on Thursday, local time, Kpler’s tracking platform showed, down from a high of 57 on Wednesday.
Ten of those vessels entered the Gulf, while 32 exited. Half of the 42 vessels used a southern passageway hugging the coast of Oman.
Another 29 commodity vessels had already crossed the strait by Friday afternoon, 10 coming into the Gulf and 19 leaving, according to Kpler.
Seventeen of those vessels used the Omani route, despite a Singapore-flagged container ship reporting that it had been struck while using the passageway on Thursday, according to the UKMTO centre.
The UN paused its mission to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz this week. (Reuters )
Tracking platform Marine Traffic recorded around 15 tankers and cargo vessels crossing the strait between 2:10pm (GMT), when the attack happened, and midnight Thursday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said that Oman and the IMO announced the new corridor without consulting Tehran, and warned vessels against using it.
“The only authorised transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz are those designated by the Islamic Republic of Iran,”
it said.
The UN maritime body said Friday that a total of about 115 vessels and 2,500 seafarers had been evacuated since Tuesday.
Mr Dominguez said that following “consultations with some countries, particularly in the region”, he took the decision to pause evacuations.
Since June 15, traffic has been steadily increasing through the strait, which normally sees around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports.
Seventy confirmed crossings by all vessels were recorded on Wednesday, according to an X post by Kpler, compared with around 125 transits in peacetime.
Experts say shipping crisis not over
The price of Brent North Sea crude oil, the international benchmark, dived more than five per cent on Friday over optimism about the strait reopening.
But experts warned against declaring the crisis over, with negotiations for a long-term settlement ongoing between Iran and the US.
“The sudden surge in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been greeted in some quarters as evidence that the region is snapping back to normal. It isn’t,”
shipping journal Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade said.
“What we are witnessing is a ceasefire‑driven release of pent‑up demand — a ketchup‑bottle burst of tonnage.
“The Strait of Hormuz may be busier, but it is not safer. Until the terms of any post‑ceasefire regime are known — and respected — the idea of a return to normality remains more hope than forecast,” he added.
AFP
Originally published on www.abc.net.au — View original