IMO: Around 2,500 Seafarers Evacuated from Strait of Hormuz

London (ANTARA) - Approximately 2,500 seafarers aboard 115 ships have been evacuated from the Strait of Hormuz since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) launched an evacuation operation for stranded sailors on Tuesday (23/6), according to IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on Friday (26/6).

During an online press conference, Dominguez stated that these initial figures cover the first three and a half days of the evacuation operation.

On Tuesday, the IMO announced the evacuation framework, recommending the use of northern routes informed by Iran and southern routes informed by Oman.

However, on Thursday (25/6), the UN maritime body suspended the evacuation operation after a ship was attacked in the Gulf of Oman, citing the need for further assessment regarding whether the security guarantees underpinning the operation remain valid.

Shipping data indicates that several vessels continued to traverse the Strait of Hormuz after the IMO operation was suspended.

Responding to questions from Xinhua, Dominguez noted that Iran is still conducting its operations on the northern route, while the United States continues to provide assistance to ships transiting the southern route.

“What is vital for these vessels is to conduct a risk assessment before making a final decision,” he said.

He also urged ship owners and operators to carefully assess all risks.

Dominguez stated that the IMO will only resume the evacuation operation once sufficient guarantees are received that commercial vessels will not be subject to attack.