Countries propose safe corridor to free 20,000 seafarers stranded in Gulf

LONDON: A proposal from the UN’s shipping agency on Wednesday calls for a safe maritime corridor to free some 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf by war in Iran.

Hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via ‌the Strait of ‌Hormuz.

The proposal submitted by ​Bahrain, ‌Japan, ⁠Panama, Singapore and ​the ⁠United Arab Emirates and backed on Wednesday by the United States called for “a framework such as a safe maritime corridor.”

It was submitted at a meeting of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) governing council in London.

“The purpose of this framework would ⁠be to facilitate the safe evacuation ‌of merchant ships,” it ‌said. “This measure aims to protect the ​lives of seafarers.”