UN to evacuate 11,000 stranded sailors in the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran dispute

The United Nations' International Maritime Organization says it is preparing a large-scale evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf after the US-Israel war against Iran. The operation is centred on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most sensitive shipping corridors, where vessel movement has been disrupted. The plan was announced as officials sought to stabilise maritime conditions in the area and protect crews waiting to move through the passage.

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IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the evacuation would be carried out with cooperation from Iran, Oman, the United States, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry. He said safety guarantees had been secured and that conditions for safe navigation had been thoroughly verified. The report did not give a timetable for the evacuation or say how the sailors would be moved, but it confirmed the scale of the operation and the range of parties involved.

The development comes as the wider conflict continues to affect shipping and diplomatic talks over the terms of an interim deal signed last week to end the fighting. The United States says the memorandum includes guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme will be subject to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has disputed that account, saying the UN watchdog will not be able to inspect nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year.

The disagreement shows that even after the ceasefire, the political and security fallout is still shaping regional transport and maritime safety. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for international trade and energy flows, and any disruption there can quickly affect shipping companies, crews and insurers. The evacuation effort also highlights the human impact of the conflict, with thousands of seafarers caught in the middle of a wider geopolitical dispute.

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In practical terms, the operation will require coordination across national jurisdictions and maritime authorities to move crews safely through or out of the area. The issue is also tied to a separate dispute over tolls in the strait. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that no country is allowed to impose tolls or fees on an international waterway, after Iran pushed to charge ships passing through.

He made the comments while beginning a Gulf tour that includes the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain, where he is discussing the deal with Tehran. His remarks underline how the maritime question remains linked to broader negotiations over security, inspections and regional access. What remains unclear is how quickly the evacuation can begin, which routes will be used and whether all stranded sailors will be moved in one operation or in stages.

It is also not yet clear how the arrangement will affect commercial traffic through the strait in the coming days. Further official updates will be needed to show whether the safety guarantees hold and whether the wider dispute over inspections and tolls eases or deepens.

The United Nations has launched an evacuation effort for about 11,000 stranded seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz area, according to the supplied report. The operation is linked to a maritime disruption affecting one of the world's most strategically important shipping corridors. The incident is centred on the Hormuz region, which connects the Gulf to the wider Indian Ocean trade route.

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The confirmed figure in the report is 11,000 seafarers, described as stranded and now the focus of the evacuation. The report does not provide further detail on the cause of the disruption, the vessels involved, or the timeline for the evacuation. It also does not identify which UN body is coordinating the effort or whether other maritime agencies are involved.

The scale of the response suggests a significant interruption to shipping and crew movement in and around the strait. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage through which a large volume of global maritime traffic passes, so any disruption there can quickly affect commercial shipping and crew safety. In this case, the immediate concern appears to be the welfare and movement of thousands of seafarers rather than cargo alone.

The evacuation also matters because the strait is a critical chokepoint for international trade and energy transport. Even limited disruption in the area can create wider operational pressure for shipping companies, port authorities, insurers, and crews waiting to move through the corridor. A UN-led response indicates that the situation has reached a level where coordination beyond individual operators is needed.

The report provides no additional background on how the crisis began, how long the seafarers have been stranded, or whether the evacuation is taking place by sea, air, or through nearby ports. It is also unclear whether the operation is being carried out with the support of regional authorities or maritime safety organisations. Those details will be important in assessing both the scale of the disruption and the speed of the response.

What happens next will depend on whether the evacuation can move the stranded crews safely and whether shipping through the area can resume normally. Further official confirmation would be needed to establish the cause of the incident and the full scope of the maritime impact. For now, the confirmed facts point to a large-scale humanitarian and logistical operation in one of the world's most sensitive sea lanes.

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