UN Maritime Agency to Evacuate More than 11 Thousand Sailors Stranded in Gulf
JAKARTA - The United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Tuesday said it would begin evacuating more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf, following a deal between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.
"This large-scale operation will be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal countries in the region, the United States, and the maritime industry," IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (24/6).
"We have secured the necessary safety assurances and have thoroughly examined the conditions for safe navigation to support this operation," he added.
Shipping traffic has increased since the Taliban and the United States agreed last week to reopen the vital shipping lane under an agreement to end the war.
Two temporary routes through the strait could be used in the evacuation plan, with ships to be contacted individually for further instructions, according to a notice to Oman sailors provided by the IMO.
The IMO said it would publish a daily report on the number of ships that had left the area safely.
Previously, Iran effectively closed the strait after the US and Israeli attacks triggered the war on February 28.
The closure of the strait during the war pushed up global oil prices and hampered the delivery of energy and essential commodities such as fertilizer.
At least 36 commodity vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the highest traffic record since the start of the war, according to data from the Kpler platform.
"After months of hardship and suffering for thousands of innocent sailors, and negative impacts on the entire world, I welcome with great satisfaction the peace agreement agreed between the United States and Iran," Dominguez said on Tuesday.
He added that the agreement marked "an important step towards restoring maritime security and ending unacceptable attacks on civilian shipping."