New Delhi, May 08: Around 1,500 ships and their crews are stranded in the Gulf due to the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, the chief of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has said.
The war in the Middle East, launched on February 28 by Israel and the United States against Iran, triggered retaliatory actions by Tehran across the region and led to a shipping blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global trade route.
“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crew members and around 1,500 ships trapped,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas.
Mr Dominguez said maritime shipping accounts for more than 80 percent of globally consumed goods.
The stranded crew members “are innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but “are trapped by geopolitical situations outside their control,” he said while addressing industry executives and IMO representatives.
Iran began blocking the strait at the start of its conflict with the US and Israel in late February. The Strait of Hormuz remains a key route for global oil and gas supplies.
“Ten sailors have lost their lives” in more than 30 attacks on vessels, he said.
The IMO chief urged countries and shipping companies to avoid sending vessels into the Gulf to prevent further casualties and economic losses.
The geopolitical crisis in the Middle East is also affecting negotiations at the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and the prevention of pollution from ships.
