The United Nations has suspended its civilian evacuation operation in the Strait of Hormuz following a missile strike on a contracted cargo vessel at dawn local time. The attack, which left at least three crew members injured, has forced the international body to withdraw its coordination team to a safe location outside the immediate danger zone.
According to maritime security sources, the vessel, the MV Ocean Star, was struck by a projectile while transiting the strait under UN safe conduct. The ship had been chartered to ferry non-essential personnel from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to the Omani enclave of Musandam. No group has claimed responsibility, though analysts point to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as the likely perpetrator.
The Royal Navy has placed two warships, HMS Dragon and HMS Montrose, on standby in the Gulf of Oman. A Ministry of Defence spokesman stated that the vessels are prepared to assist with any further evacuations should the security situation deteriorate. "We are monitoring the strait closely and are ready to respond if called upon," the spokesman added.
The development marks a significant escalation in the region, where tensions have been simmering for months over Iran's nuclear programme and its harassment of commercial shipping. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which 20 per cent of the world's oil passes, has long been a flashpoint for confrontation.
In a statement from New York, the UN Secretary-General condemned the attack and called for restraint from all parties. "This reckless act endangers innocent lives and threatens the stability of an already volatile region," the statement read. The Security Council is expected to convene an emergency session later today.
The evacuation operation was part of a broader effort to reduce the international footprint in Iran after Western governments warned of an imminent risk of armed conflict. Approximately 400 UN personnel and their dependents had been scheduled to leave by sea over the coming week. It is now unclear how those remaining will be extracted.
The attack also raises questions about the safety of commercial shipping in the strait. Insurance premiums for vessels transiting the waterway have already spiked, and several major shipping lines have announced they will reroute via the longer Cape of Good Hope route.
For London, the crisis presents a delicate diplomatic challenge. The government has been a staunch supporter of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, and has sought to de-escalate tensions through dialogue. Yet it maintains a significant naval presence in the Gulf as part of the Combined Maritime Forces.
Informed sources suggest that the Royal Navy's standby posture is intended as a deterrent rather than a precursor to offensive action. However, commanders on the ground have been authorised to use force in self-defence if necessary. Any escalation could draw the United Kingdom into a military confrontation it has sought to avoid.
