More than 11,000 seafarers stuck in the Persian Gulf will begin to exit through the Strait of Hormuz under a large-scale evacuation plan backed by Iran and the United States, the International Maritime Organization said Tuesday.
“We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.
The operation will be carried out “in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal States in the region, the United States and the maritime industry,” Dominguez said.
Oman’s Navy issued a bulletin that said ships will exit in a phased approach through two temporary maritime corridors to ensure the safety of the seafarers.
Shipping lanes under the prewar Traffic Separation Scheme, or TSS, are not safe for use right now, according to the bulletin. Iran has mined large segments of Hormuz, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress earlier this month.
Vessels can exit the strait through a route south and a route north of the TSS, the bulletin said. Ships will be individually contacted with departure instructions and their transit day, it said.
The evacuation plan comes nearly a week after Iran and the U.S. signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen Hormuz.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
