A container ship is seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is preparing an evacuation plan for hundreds of vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf following more than seven weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, the body’s Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said.
Speaking at a maritime conference in Singapore on April 21, Dominguez noted that the plan would only be implemented once clear signs of de-escalation emerge.
He said discussions are underway on key details, including the order in which ships would depart, based on how long their crews have been stranded, among other considerations.
According to Dominguez, any movement would take place through the established Traffic Separation Scheme, a route proposed by Iran and Oman and adopted by the IMO in 1968. He also noted that Iran has recently put in place a system involving designated coastal routes and, in some cases, payment requirements.
Around 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships have been stranded in the waterway since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Fe. 28 that triggered the war.
Around one-fifth of the world's crude and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait.
Dominguez said that stranded sailors were suffering from stress and fatigue.
“We need to know everything that they're going through," he said.
Dominguez urged shipping companies to provide remote support to the sailors on areas like mental health.
He said some countries have established round-the-clock helplines for the seafarers, while others have been providing them with food.
But more could be done on a personal level, such as proactively reaching out to sailors to listen to them so they feel less isolated.
Shipping remained curtailed on the strait as the United States and Iran both warned they were ready for war, while the clock ticked down on a ceasefire set to expire on April 22.
