Singapore has strongly condemned the attack on the Ever Lovely, calling the incident “unprovoked and unjustifiable” after the container ship was struck by an unidentified projectile while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on 25 June.
The Singapore-registered vessel continued its scheduled voyage following the attack, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that all 21 crew members were safe. The authority said it remains in close contact with the ship’s management company and will continue providing any assistance required.
The incident is particularly significant because it is the first reported attack on a commercial vessel since the United States and Iran agreed to a 60-day ceasefire aimed at creating the conditions for negotiations on a longer-term peace agreement. Under the memorandum of understanding reached between the two countries, Iran agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and uphold freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
Responding to the incident, the MPA said the attack represented not only an unacceptable act against commercial shipping but also a violation of international law. The authority stressed that all actions affecting international maritime traffic must comply with international legal obligations, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while ensuring the safety of ships and seafarers.
Singapore has consistently defended unrestricted navigation through strategic waterways. As a littoral state bordering the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, it has also maintained its longstanding position of supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and has refused to negotiate with Iran over tolls or transit rights in the waterway.
The attack also disrupted efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to evacuate commercial vessels that have remained stranded in the Gulf since 28 February. Following the incident, the IMO suspended the evacuation scheme, although the Ever Lovely was not sailing under that initiative when it was struck.
Shortly after the attack, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) issued a statement on X, warning that vessels using routes outside those designated by the authority would no longer benefit from safe-passage guarantees or insurance coverage. According to the statement, any consequences resulting from the use of unauthorized routes would be the responsibility of the vessel’s owner, operator and master.
