Drama in Hormuz: the Iranian attack that threatens to torpedo the agreement with the US

Iran is furious with Oman, which allows ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordination with the Revolutionary Guards. An official Iranian official explained that the move harms Tehran’s control of the Strait, and therefore launched a drone yesterday (Thursday) at a cargo ship. The attack halted shipping traffic in the strategic route and puts the memorandum of understanding with the United States to the first test. According to the official, Oman is now trapped between American pressure to open the route, and Iran’s insistence on controlling the region without foreign interference.

The main reason for the attack, it turns out, is, as mentioned, Iranian anger at Oman’s conduct. An Iranian official told The New York Times that Tehran is angry that Oman is allowing ships to pass through alternative routes in the Strait of Hormuz, all without coordinating the passage with the Revolutionary Guards.

The source explained that this Omani decision is seen in Iran as a direct violation of its control over the strategic shipping lane. This is exactly the reason why Tehran decided to launch the UAV towards the ship yesterday – a step designed to convey a message and stop traffic in the Strait.

According to the same Iranian source, Oman found itself between a rock and a hard place:

• on the one hand: It is trying to cooperate with Iran to formulate an agreed mechanism to manage the movement of vessels in the Strait.
• on the other hand: It is under very heavy pressure from the United States, which demands that it open the shipping lane completely freely and reject any attempt by Iran to collect payments for the passage.

The Iranian source emphasized that in the end, Oman has no ability to provide security guarantees to the vessels that pass there without Iran’s involvement. Tehran, for its part, insists on maintaining full control of the region and announces in advance that it will not tolerate any interference from an outside party.

The attack that took place yesterday took place near the coast of Oman. Two senior American officials who spoke to the “Wall Street Journal” confirmed that the Revolutionary Guards are behind the attack on the cargo ship, which carried the Singaporean flag.

According to the reports of the British Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO):

• The attack damaged the ship’s command bridge.
• No casualties were reported.

The incident happened only a few hours after the Revolutionary Guards’ navy warned vessels in the Strait, demanding that they not use routes that were not pre-approved by the regime.

This event could jeopardize the memorandum of understanding agreed upon by Washington and Tehran. The memorandum, intended to pave the way for an official end to the war, was signed last week and is dated for 60 days. Iran has committed within the framework of the agreements to make every effort to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels in the Straits.

And the USA, for its part, agreed to lift the blockade on Iran’s ports. Moreover, this week Washington waived sanctions regarding the sale of Iranian oil, and allowed Tehran – for the first time in decades – to sell oil in dollars.

The consequences of the attack on the ship were felt immediately. Two days before the incident, the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations (IMO) announced an extensive operation: the coordination of an evacuation route that would rescue hundreds of ships still stuck in the Persian Gulf. This operation was supposed to be launched with the cooperation of Iran, Oman, the United States and other countries.

However, a few hours after the UAV attack, the IMO was forced to announce the delay of the evacuation operation. The secretary general of the organization explained that the decision was made to re-verify that the guarantees for the security of the ships are still in effect, both for those on the evacuation list and for other ships in the area. He also clarified that the Singaporean ship that was attacked did not sail as part of the UN evacuation mechanism.