Around 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz six months after the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran began, according to the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said up to 400 ships carrying the seafarers remain unable to leave the Gulf safely. The number of people trapped in the region has fallen sharply from around 20,000 seafarers aboard about 2,000 vessels, as some ships and their crews have managed to leave the area.
However, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to maritime traffic, creating continued risks for crews and threatening the movement of essential goods through one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The waterway connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is a major route for global energy supplies. Around 20% of the world’s oil supply normally passes through the strait, making any prolonged disruption a concern for energy markets and economies that depend on Gulf exports.
Josephine Latu-Sanft, an IMO spokesperson, said thousands of seafarers remained in the region while facing heightened risks and uncertainty.
She warned that the consequences of the crisis could extend well beyond the shipping industry, particularly if disruptions continue to affect supplies of fuel, fertilisers and other essential commodities.
“The impacts of the crisis were grave in both the short and long term,” Latu-Sanft said, pointing to potential repercussions for communities and economies around the world.
The IMO has called for renewed political efforts and greater cooperation to restore safe maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz. The organisation stressed the importance of ensuring the right of transit passage for international shipping.
Since the conflict began on February 28, the IMO has verified at least 70 attacks against international shipping in the region. Those incidents have resulted in the deaths of 19 seafarers.
The continuing restrictions have placed crews in a difficult position, with many unable to leave vessels that remain exposed to security threats. Shipping companies have also faced uncertainty over when vessels can safely resume normal routes through the waterway.
The reduction in the number of stranded seafarers from the earlier figure of around 20,000 provides some relief, but hundreds of vessels remain affected.
The IMO said the situation demonstrates the wider consequences of conflict for international shipping and global supply chains. With the Strait of Hormuz handling such a large share of global oil shipments, continued disruption could affect energy availability and the cost of transporting goods.
The organisation is urging governments and other parties involved in the conflict to support measures that would allow commercial vessels and their crews to move safely through the waterway.
