UN maritime body, Oman to evacuate ships, 11,000 seafarers stranded in Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization on Tuesday announced a plan to evacuate all ships, and the more than 11,000 seafarers on them, stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the organisation said that the operation would be carried out “in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal states in the region, the United States and the maritime industry”.

Dominguez added: “We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations. We remain fully committed to ensuring the safety of seafarers and the continuity of global trade.”

Since the conflict in West Asia began on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, had effectively been blocked for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis.

However, the United States and Iran last week held an initial round of talks in Switzerland aimed at reaching a final peace deal. The two countries will establish a communication channel “to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels” through the Strait of Hormuz, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said.

The International Maritime Organization on Tuesday referred to a letter written by Oman’s Ministry of Defence to Pakistan’s National Hydrographic Office, outlining...

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