UN begins evacuating sailors stranded in Strait of Hormuz

The United Nations maritime agency has begun a large-scale evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf after months of disrupted shipping tied to the US-Israel war against Iran.

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, said Tuesday that the operation would be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, the United States, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry.

“We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” Dominguez said.

The effort follows an interim memorandum of understanding signed last week by the United States and Iran to end the conflict. The strait had been effectively closed by Tehran after attacks against Iran began on February 28, leaving vessels and crews stuck in one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Dominguez called the evacuation agreement “a decisive step towards restoring maritime security and bringing to an end the unacceptable attacks against civilian shipping.” He added: “After months of hardship and distress for thousands of innocent seafarers, and negative impact on the whole world, I welcome with deep satisfaction the peace agreement concluded between the United States and Iran.”

Oman’s Defence Ministry said the process would be phased because of safety concerns. “Given the elevated risk of collision in the current environment, a gradual and controlled evacuation of vessel traffic is required,” it said.

Under the IMO plan, two temporary routes through the strait could be used, with vessels contacted individually for instructions, according to an Omani notice to mariners provided by the IMO. The agency said it would publish a daily report on the number of ships leaving the region safely.

Shipping has begun to move again, but traffic remains far below previous levels. Maritime intelligence firm Kpler said at least 172 vessels have passed through the reopened Strait of Hormuz since June 18, the day after the deal was signed, including 42 ships on Saturday. Al Jazeera reported that Kpler counted at least 36 commercial vessels passing through on Monday, the highest level since the war began. Before the conflict, the strait averaged about 138 crossings a day, according to the BBC. Ship-tracking data analyzed by BBC Verify showed more than 200 tankers appeared to be waiting inside the strait on Tuesday.

The closure pushed Brent crude oil above $100 a barrel and disrupted shipments of energy and key commodities including fertilizer, the BBC reported.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday at the start of a Gulf tour that will also include Kuwait and Bahrain, both of which host US military bases. He is expected to discuss the agreement with Tehran and warned that Iran cannot impose fees on ships using the strait.

“It’s an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That’s existing international law,” Rubio said. “I don’t think we have anybody to convince around here in that regard. I think all the countries in this region would agree with us.”

Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had earlier said the Strait of Hormuz “will never return” to the pre-war status quo, despite agreement to establish communication lines to keep it open, Al Jazeera reported.

The broader US-Iran agreement remains disputed. US President Donald Trump wrote Tuesday that “Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!). This will insure ‘Nuclear Honesty.’” Iran said shortly before that the UN nuclear watchdog would not be able to inspect nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year. A US official responded that Iran had agreed to “robust IAEA inspections of the remains of their nuclear weapons programme.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, visiting Pakistan, said Iran “will never negotiate with anyone, under any circumstances, ever, about our defensive capabilities.” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said ballistic missiles were not discussed between the US and Iran and were “not on the table at all.”