6,000 Seafarers Still Trapped in Hormuz as IMO Evacuation Stays Paused

On July 8, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the organization's council in London that roughly 6,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Strait of Hormuz. The evacuation the IMO put in place has been on hold since June 25.

The pause came after a ship was struck during the evacuation operation. The agency halted all further movements and began seeking safety guarantees from the parties involved. Before the attack, 136 ships carrying 2,900 sailors made it out through one of two alternative corridors the IMO had arranged.

Three more ships were hit on July 7 while transiting the strait's southern route. No seafarers were injured. The incidents added to the difficulty of resuming evacuations, and Dominguez said the IMO is still pressing all parties for the assurances it needs before any convoy can move again.

When the conflict began cutting off the strait, the agency initially estimated around 11,000 crew members were on ships that could not exit. About 2,900 got out under the framework. The rest remain aboard.