The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN shipping agency, says an evacuation plan is now under way to help hundreds of vessels carrying about 11,000 seafarers leave the Persian Gulf by transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Multiple outlets report that the ships have been stranded for months and that the IMO is beginning contact with affected vessels to start the evacuation, though no clear timetable is provided.
The IMO says the operation is carried out with close cooperation from Iran, Oman, coastal states, the United States, and shipping industry stakeholders. The agency’s leadership also says it has obtained necessary security guarantees to support safe passage through the strait. Reports tie the resumption of movement and the rollout of the plan to a ceasefire or peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which ended months of conflict and allowed commercial activity to restart.
Tracking information cited by one outlet indicates traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reaches its highest level since the start of the US-Israel war involving Iran, providing additional context to the broader easing of restrictions and the start of the evacuation effort.
