Around 1,500 ships and approximately 20,000 crew members are currently trapped in the Gulf due to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz linked to the Iran–US conflict, according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Speaking at the Maritime Convention of the Americas in Panama on Thursday, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the ongoing war in the Middle East—triggered on February 28 by Israel and the United States against Iran—has led to retaliatory actions by Tehran and a blockade in the strategic waterway, News.Az reports, citing Gulf News.

“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” Dominguez said, stressing that maritime shipping carries more than 80 percent of globally consumed goods.

He described the stranded sailors as “innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but who are “trapped by geopolitical situations outside their control.”

Dominguez also said that more than 30 attacks on vessels have resulted in the deaths of 10 sailors.

He urged countries to avoid sending vessels into the Gulf to prevent further loss of life and additional economic disruption.

Before the escalation of the conflict, about one-fifth of the world’s petroleum and gas supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure has contributed to a sharp rise in global hydrocarbon prices.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a naval operation aimed at escorting stranded ships and reopening the strait, but later called off the initiative.

Washington is now awaiting Iran’s response to proposals aimed at ending the conflict and restoring access to the vital shipping route.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev