20,000 seafarers trapped in Gulf as US urges Hormuz reopening, IMO weighs evacuation corridor

The session is set to discuss a proposal for a safe maritime corridor to facilitate the evacuation of ships.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez urged shipping companies to avoid transiting the affected region during his speech, while the United States continued pressing partners to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on allies to assist in securing passage through the Strait. However, to date, countries in the EU and the Pacific have declined to provide naval support.

“I continue to monitor the situation closely, and I reiterate my call for all shipping companies to exercise the utmost caution when operating in the affected region, and, to the extent possible, to avoid passing through it,” Mr Dominguez said.

“This situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. Shipping has demonstrated resilience time and again, but geopolitics are testing the sector to the limit,” he added.

Meanwhile, the US delegation demanded that Iran cease interference with navigation in the area, reaffirming “the importance of protecting maritime safety and freedom of navigation in this critical global trade route.”

“We urge partners worldwide to support efforts to reopen the Strait,” the US delegate continued, welcoming the proposal to establish a maritime corridor for the safe evacuation of merchant ships from affected areas.

Official IMO documents show that the proposal was submitted by Bahrain, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

Sources told Riviera that the proposal will be presented and discussed, but no decision has been made yet, and it is unclear whether a vote will take place.

“This measure aims to protect the lives of seafarers and ensure the safe mobilisation and commercial navigation of vessels using this framework, while avoiding military attacks and securing the maritime domain,” the proposal reads.

Attacks on vessels condemned; Iran’s response

More than 90 countries, including those affected by attacks – such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait – along with EU states, the US, and the UK, have issued a statement condemning “the threats and attacks against vessels and the purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Islamic Republic of Iran.” 

The statement urges IMO committees to support affected seafarers and commercial vessels and to take appropriate action.

The Iranian delegation countered, saying the “current deterioration of the maritime security environment in the Persian Gulf region is a direct consequence of ongoing acts of aggression against Iran by the United States and the Israeli regime.”

Iran’s statement also cited several incidents affecting Iranian vessels, including a search and rescue ship and a marine ambulance vessel.

The Chinese delegation criticised what it called “unlawful attacks” by the US and Israel against Iran, calling on all parties to cease military operations in the area. “Only through a ceasefire can an effective and viable solution for the security of the Strait be achieved,” China said.