Cargo ships sail in the Arabian Gulf towards Strait of Hormuz in United Arab Emirates, on March 19, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Strongly condemning the “threats and attacks against vessels and purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” UN’s shipping agency called for the establishment of a safe maritime framework, as a provisional and urgent measure, to “facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships currently confined within the Gulf region.”
The Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) noted that the closure of the Strait has “adversely affected merchant and commercial vessels and threatened the safety and welfare of seafarers.”
Iran-Israel war updates on March 19, 2026
“The Council called for a coordinated approach to security be adopted and that the response be internationally coordinated.”
“The Council urged that all attacks on ships affecting innocent civilian seafarers be halted immediately. It called upon Member States to ensure the continuous provision of water, food, fuel and other essential supplies to ships currently unable to leave the region,” it added.
The extraordinary session of Council was convened following requests from several Member States.
IMO’s Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said:“I am ready to start working immediately in negotiations to establish a humanitarian framework to evacuate all vessels and seafarers trapped. However, for this to materialize, I will need the understanding, commitment and, above all, the concrete actions from all relevant countries and stakeholders.”
At the extraordinary session, States were encouraged to facilitate crew change and crew renewal operations in accordance with international standards, to safeguard the health, safety and well-being of the seafarers affected. “The Council urged States to ensure that seafarers’ communication with their families and friends can be maintained and that stores and provisions remain adequate for their needs.”
The session was convened as around 20,000 seafarers remained stranded on approximately 3,200 vessels west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UN body.
Iranian attacks on ships in the region have created an effective blockade of the crucial chokepoint, through which a fifth of global crude and liquified natural gas normally transits.
Alongside other strikes in the conflict, which has dramatically spiked oil prices and spooked markets.
(With inputs from AFP)
Published – March 20, 2026 05:02 am IST
