The Strait of Hormuz remains a hot place.Image: keystone
June 26, 2026, 7:05 a.mJune 26, 2026, 7:05 a.m
A suspected Iranian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz is testing the framework agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the war and reopen the strait. The incident off the coast of Oman came a few hours after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that passage was only safe on routes set by Tehran. The World Shipping Organization (IMO) then temporarily stopped the evacuation of ships around the strait, which is important for the oil and fertilizer trade.
It must be checked “whether the necessary safety guarantees are still in place for the ships on our evacuation list and all ships in the region,” said IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez. The affected ship was not transiting as part of the IMO evacuation plan. US media quoted US officials saying the Singapore-flagged merchant ship was hit by a drone from the Revolutionary Guards – the Islamic Republic’s elite military force. The British Merchant Shipping Safety Authority (UKMTO) said an “unknown projectile” had damaged the bridge. There are no injuries.
Tehran warns
Iran’s recently established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) reiterated on X in the evening that passage through the Strait of Hormuz would only be safe on routes determined by Tehran. Other routes are not covered by the guarantee of safe passage. Any consequences resulting from sailing on unauthorized routes would be the “sole responsibility of the ship owner, charterer and captain” and “do not entitle you to insurance coverage or related liability claims.”
In the wake of the American-Israeli attacks on Iran, the Islamic Republic largely closed the important strait to shipping traffic at the beginning of March through threats and attacks. The USA subsequently responded with its own naval blockade of ships arriving at or leaving Iranian ports. Washington and Tehran have now tentatively agreed to end the fighting. Both blockages were lifted as part of the framework agreement. As part of the tentative deal, the US this week temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil.
“Seafarers’ safety is the top priority”
The World Maritime Organization IMO – a UN specialized agency – announced on Tuesday that it would evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers from the region. The first ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the same day. The data provider Kpler counted 70 transits the next day. Before the Iran war broke out, there were more than 100 every day. On Thursday morning, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that passage through the strait was only safe on Iranian-determined routes. The data provider Windward reported that four tankers turned back on the Oman route after warning radio messages from the Revolutionary Guards.
After the attack on the cargo ship, IMO Secretary General Dominguez said: “I have always emphasized that the safety of seafarers is the top priority.” The evacuation plan will therefore be suspended until the situation is clarified. Opening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping is a central part of the recently agreed framework agreement between the USA and Iran.
Trump: Strait of Hormuz open
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated at a dinner with farmers in the Rose Garden of the White House that the strait was open. He made no mention of the attack on the ship off the coast of Oman. Instead, he emphasized once again that Iran absolutely wants to conclude an agreement with the USA – and added: “We will probably do that too. I think we will do it.” The negotiated framework agreement represents the foundation for negotiations on, for example, Tehran’s nuclear program.
The preliminary agreement stipulates that Iran may not charge fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the negotiations, which are initially scheduled to last 60 days. Iran should negotiate what happens next with Oman – taking into account international law and involving the neighboring states. International law experts consider fees to be problematic.
According to Oman, there should be no fees. “Future regulations regarding the Strait (of Hormuz) will not include the imposition of any transit fees,” said Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. The aim of the framework agreement is to ensure freedom of navigation and safe passage there. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after a ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain’s capital Manama that the strait is international waters and does not belong to any state.
Rubio: Don’t want an Iran deal “at any price”
With regard to the negotiations with Iran, he emphasized that Washington was striving for an agreement, but would not agree to any agreement “at any price”. A possible deal must be good, resilient and verifiable and must be adhered to over the long term. Meanwhile, the US regional command Centcom, which is responsible for the Middle East, posted pictures of F-16 fighter jets on (pre/sda)