Around 1,500 vessels and approximately 20,000 crew members are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf due to escalating threats linked to Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the situation has left thousands of seafarers unable to safely navigate the region.
“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas in Panama.
He emphasised that the affected crews are civilians caught in a geopolitical crisis beyond their control.
“They are innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” he said.
Dominguez added that the risks have already had deadly consequences. More than 30 attacks on vessels in the region have resulted in the deaths of 10 sailors.
In light of the escalating danger, he urged shipping companies to avoid sending additional vessels into the Persian Gulf to prevent further casualties and limit economic disruption.
By Tamilla Hasanova
