/Agencia Reuters
Despite the current ceasefire between the United States and Iran, it remains too risky to relocate the thousands of crew members trapped in the Persian Gulf, according to Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
“We will not be able to activate anything until the root causes are addressed and there is a more definitive agreement, a ceasefire, or a comprehensive agreement between the parties involved in the conflict,” the head of the United Nations (UN) maritime agency told Reuters.
It is estimated that there are about 20,000 crew members on board ships trapped in the Persian Gulf, while Iran imposes restrictions on movements through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In the meantime, it is going to be too risky to take any action to relocate the seafarers because there are no guarantees for their safety,” Domínguez stated.
Eleven seafarers have died in the Persian Gulf since the war between the United States and Israel with Iran began on February 28, according to IMO data.
The IMO has been trying to coordinate a safe maritime corridor to allow the departure of ships, which has included talks with delegations involving Iran in Oman over the past few weeks, according to Domínguez.
“You receive announcements that the Strait of Hormuz is open, and then, a few hours later, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. We cannot take the risk until we have something safer,” he said.
Traffic through the strait, through which normally 20% of the global daily supply of crude oil and liquefied natural gas flows, has been reduced to a handful of tanker ships.
Shipping operators point out that, after three months stranded, the crews of the vessels need a negotiated and safe exit route.
“The seafarers on board are missing out, not only on seeing their families, but also on births, deaths, and marriages,” Pankaj Khanna, CEO of Heidmar Maritime Holdings Corp., told Reuters.
Heidmar has a ship that has been trapped in the Gulf for three months. “What we need is, obviously, a framework, rules, regulations, whatever it is that tells us exactly how we can enter and exit. Therefore, even if a peace agreement were signed, that would have to be clarified,” Khanna emphasized.
