A projectile strike on Ever Lovely has paused the IMO Hormuz evacuation framework.
The same cycle produced a separate shadow-fleet detention, a PGSA liability warning, a Korea SAR case and a Charleston terminal pause.
1. Ever Lovely Strike Forces IMO Pause
• IMO temporarily paused its Strait of Hormuz evacuation operation after an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman. IMO said the vessel had passed through Hormuz but was not transiting under the IMO evacuation framework.
• Reuters reported the ship was hit close to Oman by a projectile, with UKMTO carrying the attack report.
• Four sources identified the vessel as the Singapore-flagged Ever Lovely, and one security source assessed that it was likely targeted by a drone.
• IMO said the pause is intended to reconfirm that safety guarantees remain in place for listed evacuation vessels and other ships in the region.
2. France Detains Deliver in Shadow-Fleet Enforcement Push
• French forces stopped the tanker Deliver off Sicily on June 23 for inspection, with assistance from the Royal Navy and EUNAVFOR MED.
• The 150,284 dwt tanker was boarded and its documents examined; French reporting said the documentation confirmed doubts over the validity of the ship’s flag.
• The vessel was reportedly sailing from Russia’s Primorsk terminal toward Singapore and had been claiming Cameroon registry since the start of the year.
• The vessel was sanctioned by the European Union in March 2025 and listed by the United Kingdom in May 2025 for involvement in Russian oil trade.
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3. PGSA Notice Shifts Liability to Owner, Charterer and Master
• Reuters reported that Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned vessels outside its approved routes would not be guaranteed safe passage.
• The PGSA position creates a direct conflict between IMO-coordinated evacuation routing and Iran-designated safe-passage claims.
• Masters should treat any PGSA, coastal-state or naval routing demand as a controlled communication requiring company, CSO, legal and insurer review before compliance.
• Owners and charterers should preserve written voyage instructions where route authority, war-risk cover, deviation, safe-port obligations or sanctions exposure may later be disputed.
4. Ulsan Collision Triggers SAR and LPG Tanker Investigation
• The Ulsan Coast Guard launched a search and rescue operation after the 1,300 dwt LPG carrier Gas Broadway collided with the 79-ton fishing boat Dong-A No. 3 off South Korea.
• The fishing vessel had eight crew aboard and sank quickly in waters of about 140 meters depth.
• Six crew were recovered by the LPG tanker and reported to be suffering from hypothermia.
• Two Indonesian crewmembers remained missing, while the South Korean captain was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.
5. Charleston Terminal Pause Adds U.S. Port-Rotation Risk
• South Carolina Ports will temporarily pause operations at Charleston’s Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal from August 1, with activity consolidated at Wando Welch and North Charleston terminals.
• The port authority cited low volumes, high operating cost, uncertain trade outlook and tempered volumes.
• Leatherman handled 75,455 containers in the first 11 months of the fiscal year, compared with more than 1 million containers at Wando Welch.
• MSC is expected to relocate services from Leatherman, with five routes affected and one route already scheduled for suspension because of low volume.
Strategic Summary & Actions Required
• Masters in the Hormuz exit queue should not move outside confirmed instructions; preserve UKMTO, MICA, IMO, PGSA, VHF, email and company-routing records.
• Ship managers should treat Ever Lovely as a fresh voyage-risk trigger and revalidate war-risk cover, security instructions, crew exposure and abort criteria before any Gulf movement.
• Owners, charterers and legal teams should document whether route orders rely on IMO, Omani, Iranian or company authority, because liability may attach directly to unauthorized routing.
• Compliance teams should screen Russia-linked tankers for flag validity, class status, sanctions listing, AIS history and registry gaps before fixtures, STS operations or port calls.
• Operators calling Ulsan or Charleston should brief bridge teams on fishing-vessel collision exposure and update U.S. East Coast port rotations before Leatherman’s August 1 pause.
Operational Status
CRITICAL RED — Ever Lovely Strike / IMO Hormuz Evacuation Paused / PGSA Liability Warning / Shadow-Fleet Detention / Korea SAR and Charleston Port-Rotation Risk
Latest DeepDraft Analysis
The Shadow Fleet’s Human Firewall
https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/22/the-shadow-fleets-human-firewall/
Sanctions enforcement is reaching the bridge through flag doubt, AIS history, ownership opacity and shipboard records, making Master-level documentation central to defensible voyage authority.
Related DeepDraft Articles & Analysis
Sources
IMO, Reuters, The Maritime Executive, The DeepDraft
This update is part of the DeepDraft SITREP series covering developing maritime operational situations.
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