Around 1,500 ships and nearly 20,000 crew members remain trapped in the Gulf due to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez made the remarks during the Maritime Convention of the Americas held in Panama City on Thursday.
The blockade began after the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States escalated in late February.
Tehran responded to the attacks by disrupting shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest energy trade routes.
Dominguez told delegates that around 20,000 seafarers are currently stranded aboard approximately 1,500 vessels in the region.
He said the crew members were “innocent people” carrying out their jobs for the benefit of countries worldwide but had become caught in geopolitical events beyond their control.
He also warned about the growing human cost of the crisis. Speaking to reporters later, Dominguez said
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