Up to 400 ships carrying around 6,000 seafarers remain unable to leave the Persian Gulf safely, six months after the conflict in the Middle East began, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) said on Friday, August 28.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved, despite some vessels and their crews managing to depart the region.
Thousands of seafarers continue to face heightened risks and uncertainty, while the disruption to shipping has affected supply chains for fuel, fertilisers and other commodities, with consequences for communities and economies worldwide.
The IMO has verified at least 70 attacks on international shipping since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers.
In July, the IMO Council adopted a resolution reaffirming that transit passage through straits used for international navigation must not be threatened, impeded or suspended. It called for coordinated and sustained efforts to restore unhindered navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Dominguez urged member states and the shipping industry to work with the IMO and the wider United Nations system to find practical solutions to restore freedom of navigation through the waterway.
He also warned of deteriorating maritime security across several regions, from the Black Sea to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, saying the situation was particularly distressing for the thousands of seafarers affected by the continuing crisis.
The conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and striking nuclear and military infrastructure. Large-scale fighting was later halted under a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding signed in June.
However, the sides have since exchanged strikes while accusing each other of violating the agreement. A lasting settlement remains elusive, with disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief still unresolved.
