The United Nations' International Maritime Organization announced Tuesday it will evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz following a U.S.-Iran conflict that crippled one of the world's most vital shipping lanes.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez disclosed that 14 sailors died during the hostilities and called for a coordinated large-scale operation involving the U.S., Iran, Oman, and other nations. The agency estimates up to 600 vessels remain trapped in the region.
Dominguez welcomed the peace agreement between Washington and Tehran, saying it marks "a decisive step towards restoring maritime security and bringing to an end the unacceptable attacks against civilian shipping." He emphasized that the UN had obtained safety guarantees and "thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation" before approving the evacuation mission.
The crisis exposed a longstanding vulnerability in global trade. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-third of the world's seaborne oil, and the conflict left thousands of civilian crew members in dangerous limbo while shipping companies faced mounting losses.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the navigation dispute during a visit to the UAE, rejecting Iran's reported practice of charging tolls on passing tankers. "It's an international waterway," Rubio said. "No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway."
Maritime expert Captain Kees Buckens told Axios that commercial traffic has already begun returning to the corridor. He praised Oman's formal notification of the transit plan as evidence of careful coordination, saying it provides vessels the assurances they need to proceed safely. Buckens, a former tanker captain with expertise in Strait operations, noted that lingering mines remain a concern but that Oman's guarantees should give seafarers confidence in the designated route.
The evacuation is scheduled to begin once ships receive clearance to transit designated safe corridors under the new security framework.
Author James Rodriguez: "The speed with which shipping resumed tells you something crucial: the global economy can't afford another Hormuz shutdown, and all sides know it."
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