Nearly 6,000 seafarers stranded in Gulf as Hormuz attacks continue: IMO

Nearly 6,000 seafarers remain stranded on vessels unable to safely leave the Gulf as attacks on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz continue, the head of the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) said Wednesday.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned attacks over the past two days on several commercial ships in the Strait, warning that innocent seafarers are again being placed in "grave danger."

He said hundreds of ships carrying around 6,000 seafarers have remained stranded in the Gulf since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East.

"No seafarer should have to risk their life simply for doing their job," Dominguez said.

He urged flag states, shipowners, operators, and relevant authorities to avoid exposing seafarers to unnecessary danger by transiting the Strait as long as crew safety and security cannot be assured.

Dominguez said the latest attacks had intensified the fear, uncertainty, and psychological strain among stranded crews, and called on all states concerned to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate without delay, and facilitate the safe departure of ships still trapped in the Gulf.

The UN agency said last month that it had confirmed 46 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28-when the conflict began-with 14 seafarer fatalities.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.