Maritime Security and Safety
IMO Moves to Free 800 Stranded Ships From Hormuz
IMO Moves to Free 800 Stranded Ships From Hormuz
With global maritime trade and shipping hanging in the balance, the world’s maritime body is drawing up an escape plan for hundreds of trapped vessels — and their exhausted crews
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News
The International Maritime Organization is quietly finalising a rescue plan to evacuate hundreds of vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf — but the operation will not move an inch until conflict subsides and the Strait of Hormuz is confirmed free of mines and military threats.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed that preparations are under way to organise a safe corridor for ships caught in the crossfire of more than seven weeks of escalating hostilities, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The plan, however, remains firmly on ice until credible signs of de-escalation emerge.
Close to 800 vessels are currently stuck in the Gulf as traffic through one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints has slowed to a near standstill. For Nigerian importers, exporters, and the broader West African supply chain dependent on Gulf-origin energy and commodities, the disruption carries real consequences — from tightening oil availability to delayed cargo consignments.
Iranian warnings and attacks have made shipowners unwilling to risk the passage, though some vessels have reportedly secured exit under tightly controlled routes — in some cases involving payments, a development that has drawn sharp attention from the global shipping community.
The situation has been further complicated by a US naval blockade designed to cut off Iranian war revenues, pushing an already fragile operating environment to the edge as a temporary ceasefire ticks toward expiry.
Behind closed doors, the IMO is mapping out the operational logistics of an evacuation, including how vessels would be prioritised — with the duration of crew entrapment likely to be a key factor.
Any approved transit would follow the long-established Traffic Separation Scheme agreed between Iran and Oman, which has served as the recognised navigational framework for the narrow waterway for decades.
Dominguez was emphatic that the proposed corridor is not a commercial exercise. The goal, he stressed, is humanitarian — to get seafarers safely out of harm’s way, not to restore cargo flows or protect trade revenues.
For Nigeria, the stakes extend beyond sympathy. The Strait of Hormuz handles a significant share of the world’s oil exports, and prolonged closure or instability there feeds directly into the global energy price pressures that continue to weigh on the naira, fuel costs, and freight rates at Nigerian ports.
The IMO says it is ready. The question now is whether the warring parties will give it the window it needs.
Waterways News | Maritime Trade & Shipping