IMO Sec-Gen: Naval escorts through Hormuz do not ensure safety

March 18 ------ The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has said in an interview with the Financial Times that naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz cannot “100 percent guarantee” the safety of ships navigating the strategic waterway.

Arsenio Dominguez stressed that military assistance is “not a long-term or sustainable solution” for reopening the strait, which remains largely closed amid ongoing Middle East tensions. Dominguez warned that ships stranded in the Gulf risk running out of food and essential supplies for their crews, urging ship managers not to put vessels or seafarers at risk. Around 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf.

IMO will convene an Extraordinary Session of its Council, on 18–19 March, to examine the impact of recent developments in the Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman and the Gulf region on international shipping and seafarers.

The upcoming session is expected to review current risks, exchange information among governments and industry stakeholders, and consider possible measures to support the safety and security of global shipping operations in the affected region. "No attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is ever justified. These crews are simply doing their jobs and must be protected from the effects of wider geopolitical tensions," Dominguez had stated in early March when attacks started in the Gulf.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized some Western allies for refusing his request to send warships to escort oil tankers through the strait.

Source: safety4sea.com