IMO-Oman phased evacuation plan sets out temporary safe corridors to move ships and seafarers through Hormuz

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Sultanate of Oman have released a phased evacuation framework to allow vessels and their crews to make a "gradual and controlled" exit from the Middle East Gulf.

According to the IMO, the framework does not represent a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz’s normal Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS).

The temporary vessel evacuation framework aims to facilitate the safe departure of hundreds of merchant ships and thousands of seafarers stranded inside the Middle East Gulf amid continuing security and navigational concerns in the Strait of Hormuz.

The framework was promulgated to ships in the region on 23 June through a Navigation Warning Request issued by the Oman National Hydrographic Office of the Royal Navy of Oman sent via NAVAREA IX. 

The framework relies on temporary routeing arrangements outside the existing TSS, which remains unsafe for navigation, according to authorities. Two emergency corridors have been established outside the normal traffic management structure, including an Oman-authorised route south of the existing separation scheme for eastbound transits.

The published route consists of six waypoints extending from the western approaches to the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman. Authorities said the routeing has been designed to support the "gradual and controlled evacuation of vessel traffic" in light of ongoing risks of collisions and other navigational incidents.

The published eastbound waypoints are:
• 26°02’43.080"N / 056°00’41.040"E
• 26°22’33.900"N / 056°16’56.040"E
• 26°24’21.300"N / 056°22’59.700"E
• 26°24’45.120"N / 056°31’06.660"E
• 26°22’06.180"N / 056°33’25.260"E
• 26°00’00.000"N / 056°33’18.000"E
Under the evacuation framework, participation is voluntary and restricted to SOLAS-class vessels currently confined within the Middle East Gulf that wish to transit eastbound out of the region. Vessels are prohibited from independently entering the evacuation corridor and instead will be assigned to designated transit groups coordinated by the IMO and participating authorities.

Ships selected for departure will be contacted individually and allocated specific transit dates. When notified, vessels will move to a designated waiting area in international waters centred on and within a three-nautical-mile radius of coordinates 26°24’N 056°00’E.

Upon arrival at the waiting area, vessels must obtain confirmation from the relevant coastal state that traffic conditions permit onward passage. Ships using the Oman-authorised route must also establish contact with A4N Radio on VHF Channel 16 when one nautical mile from the first designated waypoint.

The Royal Navy-led United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre said in an advisory that the organisation is supporting the IMO coordination process to assist vessels. 

"As part of this process, vessels may be contacted by UKMTO to be notified of their inclusion in an IMO planning batch and to highlight relevant published maritime guidance, including coastal state Notices to Mariners. All decisions regarding vessel movement, routing and timing remain the responsibility of the Master and owning company. Participation in this process is voluntary," UKMTO said.

IMO stressed that vessels should not move until told to do so and should not initiate contact with any authority.

"Vessels do not need to initiate contact," IMO said in a frequently asked questions resource. "Do not move. Wait to be contacted. Strictly follow instructions issued by relevant coastal States."

The navigation warnings also stress that shipowners and masters remain responsible for conducting independent voyage risk assessments before participating in the operation. Vessels must maintain continuous AIS transmissions and, where applicable, Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) reporting throughout the transit.

Authorities also cautioned that vessel movements may be suspended at any time for safety, security or naval deconfliction purposes.

The IMO said it will maintain oversight of the evacuation process and provide daily reporting on the number of vessels successfully departing the region under the framework as efforts continue to reduce the number of ships and seafarers stranded inside the Middle East Gulf.

The IMO has estimated that approximately 11,000 seafarers remain stranded aboard vessels inside the Middle East Gulf as a result of the ongoing disruption to shipping movements through the strategically important waterway.

In announcing the plan, the IMO said the operation had been developed in cooperation with Oman, Iran, the United States, other coastal states and maritime industry stakeholders. The organisation has repeatedly emphasised that the safety of seafarers remains its primary concern and has warned that current conditions do not provide the assurances required for normal navigation through the Strait.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez paid tribute to the 14 seafarers who were killed during the war and the "months of hardship and distress for thousands of innocent seafarers" trapped by the conflict.

"We will begin the implementation of the evacuation plan for over 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the region. This large-scale operation will be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal States in the region, the United States and the maritime industry. We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations," Secretary-General Dominguez said.

IMO has developed a list of frequently asked questions on its website for its Strait of Hormuz Evacuation Plan.