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IMO to Evacuate 11,000 Seafarers From Strait of Hormuz After US-Iran Deal

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The International Maritime Organization said on Tuesday it will launch a large-scale evacuation of over 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the Middle East conflict.

Arsenio Dominguez, IMO secretary-general, said that the US-Iran peace deal marks "a decisive step towards restoring maritime security" after months of attacks on commercial vessels that disrupted global trade routes and endangered crews.

The operation would be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal states in the region, the US and the maritime industry, the global maritime watchdog said, adding that the organization had secured safety guarantees.

Transits will be limited each day, according to a notice to mariners published by Oman. Dominguez said the priority now is to ensure the safe extraction of stranded crews and to stabilize maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.

The operation is expected to be coordinated across regional naval and port authorities alongside global shipping firms.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of vessels ultimately depends on ship captains and owners, and Oman said that they are responsible for conducting risk assessments.

Traffic through the Hormuz is picking up after the US and Iran signed an interim peace deal, with Kpler reporting that confirmed crossings rose from 32 vessels between June 12-14 to 93 between June 19-21.

MarineTraffic said that vessel activity through the Strait has rebounded over the past two consecutive weekends, indicating a clear shift in traffic patterns through the key chokepoint.

Oman also said that two temporary transit routes can be used, one on each side of the former main path, which is now believed to have been mined. However, the Gulf state said operations may be temporarily suspended for safety or security purposes.

The IMO will report daily on the number of ships "safely" departing the region.

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