IMO pauses Strait of Hormuz evacuation after vessel struck; about 2,500 seafarers evacuated so far

Secretary General Dominguez of the International Maritime Organization said the body has temporarily paused an evacuation framework for ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel was struck while transiting the southern corridor.

"We launched the evacuation framework in order to assist the 11,000 seafarers still stranded in around 600 vessels inside the Strait of Hormuz," Dominguez told reporters, adding that the mechanism was developed with the Sultanate of Oman. He said the pause followed reports that a ship was hit after transiting the southern route and that any further movement requires guarantees for seafarer safety.

Dominguez said initial, unverified figures indicate about 115 vessels — roughly 2,500 seafarers — have been evacuated since the framework began earlier this week, but he cautioned the numbers were "not completely final" and remain under verification.

The framework relies on two corridors: a northern transit operated by Iran and a southern transit carried out with assistance from Oman and the United States, Dominguez said. He told reporters the IMO cannot yet reinstate the traffic separation scheme that has governed navigation in the strait since 1968 because, according to the memorandum of understanding cited by parties and other country reports, mines remain a hazard in parts of the separation zone.

Dominguez said the presence of mines within the traffic separation scheme is reported but not precisely quantified; he cited a possible figure of about 80 mines but said he could not provide a precise count pending verification. He said Iran has agreed to de-mine parts of the area and that the United Kingdom, France and the United States have offered naval assets to assist verification and any required clearing.

Asked about the vessel that was struck, Dominguez said it had been hit after transiting the southern corridor and that, "I can confirm that there was no attempt right now for that vessel to be in line to transit through the evacuation corridor." He said the organization is investigating whether the ship had contacted other authorities and that he could not yet interpret legal consequences or whether the attack violated provisions of the memorandum of understanding.

Dominguez emphasized that resuming evacuations requires explicit guarantees from the parties involved — particularly Iran, Oman and the United States — that vessels and their crews will not be targeted. "We're working diligently with several parties…particularly Oman, the United States and Iran in order to find these guarantees," he said.

He also highlighted seafarer welfare. "Seafarers have been of course the priority of all the work that IMO and myself have been carried out," Dominguez said, noting that across recent incidents in the conflict 14 seafarers have lost their lives and that crews face severe psychological pressure and shortages of food, water and medical supplies. He said IMO is coordinating with flag states, shipowners and the International Labour Organization to provide support and to improve training and mental-health resources.

On timing, Dominguez declined to give a firm timetable. He said the evacuation will be progressive and estimated it would take a few weeks to evacuate "just over 500 vessels" that remain to be cleared, but he stressed that resumption depends on receiving the safety guarantees and completing demining and verification tasks.

Dominguez urged multilateral diplomacy and said he and other states were continuing conversations to restore safe passage and resume trade through the strait. "I will not risk any seafarers," he said, adding that the suspension will continue until the IMO is satisfied that operations can proceed without undue risk.

The secretary general closed by asking the media to continue highlighting the plight of seafarers and by reiterating that the organization would resume operations as soon as it deemed them safe.