The conflict-driven transport crisis in the Gulf has left up to 400 ships and around 6,000 seafarers unable to leave the region safely. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said some ships and crews had managed to depart, but many vessels had remained in the Gulf since the war began.
Dominguez said the situation in the Strait of Hormuz had yet to be resolved. The statement was issued Friday, six months after the war began in the Middle East.
Risks in Hormuz threaten supply chains
The United Nations agency IMO has confirmed at least 70 attacks on international maritime shipping since the war began on February 28. Nineteen seafarers were killed in those attacks.
Disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of global oil trade passes, risk disrupting fuel and fertilizer supply chains. The IMO said such a situation could have serious consequences for communities and economies around the world.
Pointing to the thousands of seafarers continuing to live under conditions of risk and uncertainty, Dominguez appealed to member states and the maritime sector. The IMO secretary-general called for stronger political will to restore freedom of navigation on the waterway.
U.S.-Iran talks halted
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June to pave the way for talks aimed at reaching a final agreement. However, the talks later stalled over disagreements concerning security guarantees and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.