International Maritime Organization secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez has warned shipowners and masters that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be treated as safe for commercial transit without reliable security assurances, according to an IMO statement issued on 9 June.
Dominguez said he was “increasingly concerned” that vessels were still attempting to pass through the waterway despite established risks and recent cases in which seafarers had been killed, injured or detained.
“The current situation remains highly volatile, with no reliable security assurances in place. Under such circumstances, safe passage cannot be considered to exist,” he said.
The IMO chief said responsibility for voyage planning rests with the master and the company, which must carry out “thorough and realistic risk assessments” under safety and security management frameworks.
“No commercial or operational consideration can justify exposing seafarers to such levels of danger. The protection of their lives must remain the overriding priority at all times,” Dominguez said.
IMO said more than 20,000 seafarers, port workers and offshore crew are affected in the region, including personnel on vessels unable to leave the Strait of Hormuz.
Recent maritime guidance said traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained significantly reduced, with commercial vessels routing south of the traffic separation scheme through Omani territorial waters. It also cited a suspected floating mine warning and continuing GNSS interference.
The International Maritime Organization is a specialised agency of the United Nations with a mandate covering maritime safety, maritime security and prevention of pollution from ships.