UN Agency To Begin Evacuation Of Stranded Gulf Ships Through Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on Tuesday said that an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships carrying around 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf to transit through the Strait of Hormuz is underway, following the ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States.

“We have now started contacting the ships to start the evacuation,” an IMO spokesperson said, without specifying a timeline for the operation.

The agency said it had obtained the necessary safety guarantees and confirmed that conditions were suitable for safe navigation.

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“This large-scale operation will be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all

other coastal states in the region, the United States and the maritime industry,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.

According to a separate advisory issued by Oman’s defence ministry, the evacuation will take place in phases.

“Given the elevated risk of collision in the current environment, a gradual and controlled evacuation of vessel traffic is required,” the ministry said.

It added that the existing Traffic Separation Scheme was “not safe for use at this time” and that two temporary routes, located to the north and south of the scheme, would instead be used during the evacuation.

“Vessels will be contacted individually and advised of their allocated transit day by the parties coordinated by IMO,” the advisory said.

The Traffic Separation Scheme, adopted by the IMO in 1968, established designated routing lanes through Iranian and Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Floating mines remain among the major risks in the waters around the strategic waterway.

The evacuation plan comes after Iran and the United States signed an initial accord last week aimed at halting the conflict. Tehran later announced a renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz following fresh clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

While maritime traffic has shown early signs of recovery, uncertainty over the future management of the strait persists.

Meanwhile, diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran is continuing after talks held in Switzerland opened a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during an official visit to Pakistan on Tuesday, said further progress would depend on all parties honouring their commitments.

With inputs from Reuters