11,000 Seafarers Stranded in Persian Gulf to Be Evacuated

The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has announced that the evacuation process for thousands of seafarers stranded on vessels in the Persian Gulf has begun.

“We will begin implementing the evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the region. This massive operation will be carried out through close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal nations in the area, the United States, as well as the maritime industry,” Dominguez stated in a release on Tuesday.

He noted that the IMO has provided all necessary security guarantees and is confident that current conditions allow vessels to pass safely. On the early hours of 18 June, Iran and the US signed a memorandum remotely to end the military conflict that has been ongoing since 28 February. The MoU also sets a deadline for the US to lift its naval blockade and for Iran to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Furthermore, Iran has committed to not acquiring nuclear weapons, while issues regarding its nuclear programme are to be resolved through a separate agreement. Both parties are expected to negotiate this issue over the next 60 days. For Iran, the primary objective is the lifting of a series of sanctions imposed upon it.

The Japanese government has confirmed that a tanker associated with the company Eneos successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz without paying fees to Iran.

Iran has asserted its readiness to respond militarily to the United States following the tanker shooting incident in the Persian Gulf, triggering increased tensions in the Middle East region. The IMO has reported 29 attacks on civilian vessels in the Persian Gulf, with approximately 20,000 seafarers caught in the middle of tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel.