The International Maritime Organization (IMO), linked to the United Nations, revealed this Tuesday (23) a vast initiative to ensure the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The main objective is to clear the path of ships that were blocked in the Persian Gulf during the recent confrontation between the United States and Iran.
The task force will focus its efforts on removing more than 11,000 seafarers who were prevented from leaving the Gulf region throughout the period of conflict, as communicated by the entity.
IMO Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez, highlighted in an official note that this major action will be carried out in close collaboration with Iran, Oman, all other coastal nations, the United States and the naval sector. He assured that essential safety conditions were guaranteed and the conditions for protected navigation were thoroughly checked, aiming for the success of these operations.
According to the IMO, the need for this extraordinary operation arises from the large number of ships that remained trapped in the area, which makes safe passage through Hormuz using the conventional maritime traffic system unfeasible.
Dominguez also highlighted that the operation is the culmination of efforts “after months of great challenges and suffering for thousands of innocent sailors” in the Middle East. This action is taken after the IMO established the security guarantees necessary for the safe movement of vessels, and became viable a week after the signing of an interim peace agreement between the US and Iran, ending three months of hostilities.
The future of navigation and control in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran announced this Tuesday (23) that a specific number of ships will be allowed daily to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and this quota may fluctuate depending on the regional conditions of the day.
This new information, released by the Iranian state agency Tasnim and attributed to a military authority, adds complexity to the reopening of Hormuz. Although the peace agreement signed between Washington and Tehran the previous week did not mention such a restriction, details about daily capacity were not specified by Iran. Additionally, the United States and Iran remain at odds over the sovereignty of the strait in the post-war period and over possible toll charges by Tehran. While US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that Hormuz was “completely unimpeded”, Iran expressed its intention to close the crossing again in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, highlighting the fragility of the scenario.
Websites specialized in monitoring maritime traffic recorded, on Monday, the largest movement through the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, with at least 35 commercial ships making the crossing. The next day, Trump reported that 19 million barrels of oil flowed through Hormuz on Monday, a volume he described as a “historic milestone.”
Iranians and Omanis, in turn, announced this Tuesday that they will explore the possibility of joint management for Hormuz in the future, including the institution of fees for services offered. With this joint declaration, the two countries reaffirm their claim to sovereignty over this vital maritime route in the Middle East, adding a new element of value to the economic and geopolitical future of the region, by directly discussing the monetization and administrative control of the passage.