The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced plans for a large-scale operation to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz region.
The announcement followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez welcomed the agreement as a step towards restoring maritime security and ending attacks against civilian shipping.
Context: Strait of Hormuz Intelligence File · IMO Net-Zero Framework explained · International Maritime Organization (IMO) · Strait of Hormuz
According to the IMO, the evacuation will be conducted in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, other coastal states in the region, the United States and representatives of the maritime industry.
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Dominguez said the organization had obtained the safety guarantees required for the operation and had verified conditions for safe navigation. The IMO did not provide a timetable for the evacuations or further details on how seafarers would be transported from the region.
The Secretary-General also paid tribute to 14 seafarers who lost their lives during the conflict, highlighting their service to global trade. He described the preceding months as a period of hardship and distress for thousands of seafarers, with wider consequences for international commerce.
The IMO said it remained committed to protecting seafarers and supporting the continuity of global trade as the evacuation plan moves into implementation.
Supporting operational information has been made available through a Notice to Mariners issued by Oman under NAVAREA IX, together with an IMO document answering operational questions about the Strait of Hormuz evacuation plan.