For months, the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, was effectively closed for business. Now, the International Maritime Organization is trying to get roughly 11,000 stranded seafarers out.
The IMO disclosed plans on June 23, 2026, to evacuate approximately 11,000 of the estimated 20,000 seafarers still trapped in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz region. The operation follows a preliminary peace memorandum signed on June 17, 2026, by US President Trump and Iranian officials, which formally ended the conflict and lifted the US naval blockade that had effectively sealed the strait.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed that safety guarantees for navigation during the evacuation have been secured with regional states. Coordination with Iran, Oman, and neighboring governments will be required to move personnel and vessels through what remains an operationally complex corridor.
The scale of the crisis
Nearly 2,000 vessels were trapped during the conflict, of which an estimated 550 to 600 were merchant ships.
