The International Maritime Organization and Oman began a phased operation to move hundreds of ships out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, after more than 11,000 seafarers had been stranded in the region.
The plan covered an estimated 500 to 600 vessels. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the organization had obtained the security assurances needed to support the transits and had checked navigation conditions. The operation was to be conducted with Oman, Iran, other coastal states, the United States and maritime industry participants.
Oman took the operational lead, while the IMO was assigned to monitor departures and issue daily progress reports. Rather than allowing all waiting ships to move at once, authorities divided them into groups and allocated transit days. The first designation reportedly covered 40 vessels. Participation remained a decision for each ship and its operator.
Ships receiving a slot could proceed to a waiting area in international waters. Masters then had a choice between a northern passage through Iranian territorial waters and a southern passage through Omani territorial waters. They were instructed to contact the relevant coastal authority before entering their selected route and to keep their Automatic Identification System transmissions active during passage. Oman said no tolls would be imposed.
The arrangement relied on temporary lanes because the established Traffic Separation Scheme was considered unsafe. The northern and southern corridors were narrow, creating a heightened collision risk and requiring close traffic management. A mine had been confirmed in the principal lanes during the preceding week, while other reports cited the possible presence of many more mines.
The initiative followed an agreement between the United States and Iran and talks described by mediators as making encouraging progress. Qatar and Pakistan said the two sides had agreed to maintain a communication line during a 60-day period, intended in part to prevent incidents and misunderstandings affecting commercial passage.
The International Chamber of Shipping welcomed the added coordination while stressing that the IMO plan needed to align with mechanisms already in place. Uncertainty nevertheless persisted: factions in Iran continued to describe the strait as closed and said permits were not being issued, even as indications showed some vessels were leaving.
Dominguez also said 14 seafarers had died during the conflict. Against that background, the controlled departures represented an effort to reduce immediate risks to crews while gradually restoring commercial navigation through one of the region's most constrained maritime routes. Authorities planned further updates as departures proceeded.
