The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, provided an update on Thursday following an incident involving a vessel in the Omani Gulf. Dominguez announced that the IMO has suspended its efforts to evacuate an estimated 600 ships and 11,000 seamen. He reported that a safe passage program, initiated by the United Nations on Tuesday, had previously facilitated the movement of maritime assets.
According to Dominguez, over the preceding three and a half days, 115 ships and approximately 2,500 seamen were successfully evacuated after safely passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The decision to suspend the evacuation efforts was made after consultations with several countries, particularly those in the region. Dominguez stated that the suspension reflects the current operational status of the vessels and personnel, who had been held due to the ongoing tensions between the USA and Iran.
The suspension marks a change from the coordinated effort aimed at ensuring the safe transit of commercial ships. While the previous operations successfully moved a significant number of personnel and vessels out of the area, the latest guidance indicates a pause in large-scale evacuation activities. This development impacts the maritime traffic flow through the vital shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz, requiring ongoing monitoring of regional stability for the remaining ships.
Topics: #ships #evacuated #hormuz
