A laden container ship ran aground in shallow waters near Iran’s Larak Island on 1 July, according to Iranian media and maritime security firm Vanguard.

The vessel was reported to have deviated from a route designated by Iranian authorities before becoming stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that vessels should use the route south of Larak Island and said the ship had not followed its assigned passage.

While the vessel was initially described as foreign, other reports linked the ship to Iran.

Based on its reported position, appearance and other identifying details, the ship was identified as the container vessel Arista. The vessel is reportedly operating under a false flag associated with the Comoros.

The grounding occurred as container ship movements in the Middle East Gulf continued to evolve.

According to Linerlytica, 26 container ships with a combined capacity of 195,000 TEU have departed the Gulf.

Alphaliner said around 16 boxships operated by major liner companies left following the peace agreement signed between Iran and the US on 17 June and through evacuation efforts coordinated by the International Maritime Organisation.