China News Service, Beijing, June 24. Comprehensive news: Iranian officials said on the 23rd that the Strait of Hormuz has been fully opened to commercial vessels. The International Maritime Organization announced on the same day that it would launch a plan to evacuate stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz region. Oman stated that it has coordinated with the International Maritime Organization to open a temporary maritime channel for all ships and will maintain dialogue with Iran on the management mechanism of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, Bahreini, said on the 23rd that the Strait of Hormuz has been fully opened to commercial vessels at no charge. The specific situation after 60 days will be determined by the outcome of negotiations between Iran and the United States.
Oman and Iran issued a joint statement on the same day, reiterating their commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries will maintain dialogue through a joint working group to reach agreement on the future navigation management mechanism of the Strait of Hormuz, related service arrangements, and fee standards, ensuring that relevant arrangements comply with international standards. Both sides agreed to conduct consultations with Gulf coastal states and other relevant parties.
The statement emphasized that all arrangements involving the Strait of Hormuz must fully respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two countries as coastal states of the strait. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining the Strait of Hormuz as a safe and open waterway for international shipping and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation to promote maritime security, freedom of navigation, and regional stability.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Dominguez issued a statement on the same day, announcing the launch of a plan to evacuate stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz region.
The statement said it will work closely with Iran, Oman and other regional coastal states, the United States, and the international shipping industry to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz region. The International Maritime Organization has obtained security guarantees and fully verified safe navigation conditions in the relevant waters to ensure the smooth implementation of the evacuation plan.
Oman issued a statement in the early hours of the 24th, saying that Oman has coordinated with the International Maritime Organization to open a temporary maritime channel for all ships. The relevant channel will operate in accordance with navigation coordinates published by the International Maritime Organization and Omani authorities. Ships planning to use this channel need to coordinate with the International Maritime Organization in advance.
Agence France-Presse and others, citing data from professional institutions, reported that on the 22nd, at least 36 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz, with traffic volume recovering to nearly one-third of the level before the outbreak of the current Middle East conflict. On the 23rd, two stranded “supertankers” each carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The report said the actual number of commercial vessels passing through may be higher. (End)
