IMO Secretary-General: Military Efforts Alone Cannot Resolve Hormuz Crisis
London (ANTARA) - The Secretary-General (Secretary-General) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez said on Thursday (2/4) that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz requires de-escalation and stressed that a purely military approach will not succeed and that practical maritime solutions are needed to address the crisis.
According to a press briefing released on the official IMO website, Dominguez made the statement while attending a virtual meeting on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz organised by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, attended by foreign ministers from more than 40 countries.
During the meeting, Dominguez presented to the participants the efforts currently being undertaken by the IMO.
He urged countries to support diplomatic efforts to ensure the evacuation of around 20,000 seafarers currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. Dominguez also called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors for urgent assistance.
After the meeting, Dominguez said that a fragmented response is no longer sufficient to resolve the crisis.
“What is very much needed now is diplomatic engagement, practical and neutral solutions, and coordinated international action,” he said.
Dominguez stated that the IMO is proposing a maritime evacuation framework based on cooperation between coastal states, security guarantees, and operational coordination with clear objectives to free trapped vessels, enable safe crew changes, and prevent environmental disasters.
Since the outbreak of the conflict on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran, the IMO has reported 21 attacks on commercial ships. Those attacks resulted in 10 seafarers killed and several others seriously injured.
Following the IMO Council’s extraordinary meeting held on 18-19 March, the IMO has taken several important steps, including proposing discussions with relevant countries on a framework for safe routes to evacuate stranded seafarers, involving regional countries to secure supply routes and facilitate humanitarian access, and enhancing information exchange and coordination with industry partners.
The IMO is also strengthening the collection and verification of data related to maritime incidents and contributing to the UN’s special task force for the Strait of Hormuz, which aims to address humanitarian needs through coordinated technical mechanisms.