The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has begun implementing a plan to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz area.
The evacuation plan, devised in cooperation with Iran, Oman, the United States, other coastal states, and shipping companies, follows the memorandum of understanding to end the war between Iran and the United States, which was signed on June 17, 2026, .
The organization had obtained the “necessary safety guarantees,” asserted IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, adding that it had “thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” expressing condolences over the deaths of 14 seafarers during the war.
According to the UN agency, the operation is expected to begin as soon as ships are cleared to transit through agreed safe corridors in the strait. The plan relies on two temporary transit routes identified by Oman and communicated to seafarers, allowing vessels to move through the waterway during the operation.
The reopening of the strait remains partial, according to IMO data, with only 172 ships crossing since June 18, including 42 vessels on June 20, far below the pre-war average of about 138 ships a day.
The operation reflects the scale of disruption caused by the US–Israeli war on Iran in one of the world’s most important trade corridors. According to Axios, the IMO estimates that about 600 ships have been stranded in the area, while a BBC analysis of vessel-tracking data showed more than 200 tankers waiting inside the strait.
Iran effectively closed the strait after the United States and Israel launched an offensive on Feb. 28, pushing Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel and disrupting shipments of energy and essential goods.
Alongside the evacuation plan, debate continued over freedom of navigation in the strait. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, said the strait is an “international waterway” and that no country has the right to impose transit fees on it, amid reports of Iranian efforts to levy passage fees on some tankers.
However, maritime experts have reportedly assessed the Omani navigational notice points as a “well-organized” plan for safe passage, and that any potential fees would not obstruct the evacuation, although concerns remain over Iranian mines and the security of sea lanes.
The Omani navigational notice, circulated by the IMO, shows that the evacuation plan will proceed through a temporary sea corridor in a gradual and controlled manner, with ships guided in groups and receiving individual instructions on crossing times.
The notice also said the usual traffic separation scheme in the Strait of Hormuz is not currently safe, and that ships will use two temporary northern and southern routes after waiting in a designated area in international waters. Vessels will be required to keep tracking systems switched on and comply with instructions from coastal states, with movement subject to temporary suspension for security reasons.
The plan follows signs of a slow, cautious return of oil and gas traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with some stranded tankers crossing and Qatar-linked gas carriers resuming entry, as US–Iranian talks progressed and Washington announced a temporary sanctions waiver until August 21.
But the recovery remained limited, as Iran said only a limited number of ships would be allowed to cross each day, while Iran and Oman announced the formation of a working group to discuss the management of navigation in the strait.
US and Iranian negotiators met for a round of talks during the Lucerne summit in Switzerland, which took place from June 21 until the early hours of June 22, amid hopes of opening a 60-day negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, and mechanisms for implementing economic and security provisions.
