Ship runs aground in Strait of Hormuz: Report

A container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, according to The Associated Press, citing Iranian state television. The AP reported the foreign vessel was using a route not approved by Tehran. As of Wednesday morning, 42 ships were in the key waterway, with 11 transiting in the previous 24 hours, based on hormuz.data-tracking.net. The U.N. International Maritime Organization (IMO) had launched an operation to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers, offering a northern route near Iran or a southern route via Oman and the United Arab Emirates, but the IMO paused evacuations after an Iranian attack last week. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said affected ships did not transit under the evacuation framework, and resumption depends on “further clarity.” Traffic fluctuations have coincided with lower oil and U.S. gas prices.