IMO head calls for halt to Strait of Hormuz transits

The head of the International Maritime Organization said Wednesday that ships should not attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz while attacks continue in the area. IMO secretary general Arsenio Dominguez stated that the attacks increase fear and psychological strain for the nearly 6,000 seafarers stranded on vessels unable to leave the Gulf.

Background on the conflict The conflict began in late February with strikes on Iran. A June 17 preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran allowed some traffic to resume through the strait before an attack in the Gulf of Oman suspended an evacuation effort. The IMO had started an initiative to move more than 11,000 seafarers on about 600 ships using routes near Iran and Oman.

Calls for restraint Dominguez condemned the attacks and urged flag states, shipowners and operators to avoid exposing crews to unnecessary danger. "As long as the safety and security of crews cannot be assured, I urge flag States, shipowners, operators and all relevant authorities to avoid exposing seafarers to unnecessary danger by transiting the Strait," Dominguez said in a statement.

The IMO resolution adopted by member nations calls for international waterways to remain open and for any measures not to discriminate among foreign ships or impair transit rights under international law. Tehran has said it will control passage through the strait and charge fees, while the United States has called for a return to free passage as existed before the war.