00:00The United Nations International Maritime Organization has paused plans to evacuate
00:06more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:09The decision comes after a cargo ship passing through the vital waterway was attacked.
00:17Iran had earlier warned that vessels travelling outside its designated routes would not be
00:22guaranteed safe passage.
00:24The ship had been sailing along a route recommended by the UK Maritime Trade Operations or UK
00:29MTO.
00:31No casualties were reported.
00:33Hundreds of ships and thousands of sailors have been stranded in the Gulf since February,
00:38following the US and Israel's war against Iran.
00:40The UN announced the evacuation plan on Tuesday after the Strait reopened to commercial shipping.
00:46But the operation has now been temporarily paused while it reconfirms the necessary safety
00:52guarantees for ships on its evacuation list.
00:57Oil prices eased today after an earlier surge triggered by renewed security concerns in
01:03the Strait of Hormuz.
01:04Brent crude fell more than 2%, around US$73 a barrel, after climbing sharply when a cargo
01:11vessel was hit by an unknown projectile near Oman.
01:15The UN Shipping Agency's suspension of its planned evacuation of ships stranded around the Strait
01:21further filled concerns over oil supplies.
01:24However, despite the volatility, Brent remains only about 2% above its pre-conflict level,
01:30following last week's US-Iran agreement to end the war.
01:34Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco has resumed crude loadings at its Ras Tanura terminal after a nearly
01:39four-month suspension, adding to expectations of a return to normal export operations.
01:44Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continued to recover this week, with crude exports reaching
01:49their highest level since the conflict began.
