Nearly 6,000 seafarers remained aboard ships unable to leave the Gulf safely as attacks around the Strait of Hormuz intensified, according to International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.
Dominguez condemned attacks against several ships during the preceding two days and called on the states involved to reduce tensions immediately. He said crews were bearing prolonged fear, uncertainty and psychological pressure while performing civilian maritime work in a conflict zone.
The IMO chief asked flag states, vessel owners, operators and public authorities not to expose crews to avoidable danger while security could not be guaranteed. He also urged governments to facilitate the safe departure of vessels that had been stuck since the crisis began. His statement did not call for ships to resume normal transit; it placed the immediate emphasis on protecting people already trapped.
The appeal followed renewed fighting between the United States and Iran. President Donald Trump said he considered the ceasefire over, although negotiators could continue their work. Iranian forces had struck at least three ships in recent days, according to the supplied reporting, and the United States answered with extensive attacks on Iranian targets. Tehran then announced retaliatory operations against Gulf countries.
Iran insisted it should control passage through Hormuz, planned charges for ships and threatened vessels that did not use routes it authorised. Those demands challenged the wider international treatment of the strait as a shared commercial waterway. Even without a complete physical closure, uncertainty about rules and the possibility of attack left crews and owners facing difficult decisions.
Oil prices increased by 5% after Trump's comments, having already reached a two-week high. The response reflected the strait's importance to energy flows and the risk that military escalation could constrain supply. Market effects, however, were secondary in the IMO statement to the safety of crews.
Iranian state media reported explosions at Qeshm, Sirik, Bandar Abbas and Bushehr after US strikes. It said one Revolutionary Guard member had been killed and described damage to monitoring sites on the southern coast. The United States and Iran each said they had hit dozens of targets, claims that were not independently reconciled in the packet.
Seafarers are civilians even when their vessels carry strategically important cargo. Their confinement illustrated how maritime conflict extends beyond navies and governments to multinational crews who may have little influence over routing decisions.
Dominguez's intervention set out a practical minimum amid the competing military and political demands: prevent further attacks on merchant vessels, avoid unnecessary transits, and create a safe path out for thousands already caught in the Gulf.
