No safe transit through Strait of Hormuz: IMO Secretary-General<\/p>\n
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called on all Member States to support efforts to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where around 20,000 seafarers remain trapped and unable to leave.<\/p>\n
In an informal briefing to Member States and industry representatives,\u202fSecretary-General Dominguez\u202fconfirmed that\u202fseveral\u202fvessels had been seized\u202fand detained\u202fin the region\u202fover the past few days.<\/p>\n
He urged maximum caution,\u202fconsidering\u202fpotential\u202fmines present throughout the Strait and threat of\u202ffurther attacks\u202fon ships.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy call is to release the seafarers because they are not at fault,\u201d he said.\u202f\u201cThe situation is not improving.\u202fI reiterate:\u202fthere is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
He highlighted that 29 attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz had been verified by IMO since the beginning of the conflict, resulting in the death of at least 10 seafarers and damage to the vessels. Around 20,000 seafarers on around 1,600 vessels\u202fremain\u202fin the Gulf.<\/p>\n
\u200bSecretary-General Arsenio Dominguez provided an update to Member States and industry on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz on 24 April 2026.<\/p>\n
With the\u202fconflict now\u202fin its eighth week, Secretary-General Dominguez\u202fwarned that\u202fsupplies\u202fon ships stuck in the Persian Gulf \u2013 including water,\u202ffood\u202fand fuel \u2013 will\u202fstart running short.\u202fHe appreciated the\u202fongoing\u202fsupport from countries in the region\u202fin providing essential supplies\u202fand provisions.<\/p>\n
Secretary-General Dominguez\u202furged\u202fall flag States, NGOs, industry\u202fbodies\u202fand the States of nationality of the seafarers to offer any\u202fassistance, including through remote support, helplines and keeping families informed.\u202fHe\u202falso highlighted\u202fthe\u202fimportance of\u202ffair treatment of seafarers in terms of welfare and payment of wages.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to a seafarer who had been trapped in the Persian Gulf for more than six weeks.\u202fAside from the exhaustion and toll on mental health of the crews, they feel\u202finvisible,\u202fthat they are not valued. There is much more we need to do,\u201d he told delegates.<\/p>\n
Maritime evacuation plan<\/p>\n
IMO is working with Member States\u202fand partners on an evacuation plan for seafarers, ready to\u202fimplement\u202fonce it is safe to do so.\u202fThis includes\u202fcompiling\u202fa list of affected vessels and prioritizing them based on humanitarian needs.<\/p>\n
For the evacuation to\u202fproceed, all parties involved in the conflict would need to agree to refrain from attacks on maritime assets during the operation.<\/p>\n
Mr.\u202fDominguez also called for coordination among flag States,\u202fshipowners\u202fand operators to use the internationally\u202frecognized\u202fTraffic Separation Scheme (TSS) as an evacuation corridor, once safety guarantees are in place.<\/p>\n
He\u202funderscored\u202fthat the TSS, adopted by the IMO in 1968,\u202fremains\u202fthe only\u202frecognized\u202froute through the Strait.<\/p>\n
He said the IMO will continue to engage with Iran and Oman, which have been coordinating transit operations in the corridor. He also acknowledged\u202fthe\u202fsupport offered by\u202fFrance, the United\u202fKingdom\u202fand other countries\u202ffor\u202fthe evacuation process.<\/p>\n
IMO will further update the\u202fUN Security Council\u202fon Monday 27 April 2026 on\u202fdevelopments.<\/p>\n
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