UN starts phased Hormuz evacuation for 11,000 stranded seafarers
What's next: Ships will be assigned individual transit days as Iran, Oman and the US coordinate temporary routes around unsafe lanes.
The UN's shipping agency has begun a phased operation to move hundreds of vessels and about 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran and the United States reached a ceasefire deal. The International Maritime Organization said it had secured safety guarantees and confirmed conditions for navigation before contacting ships to begin the evacuation. Oman’s defense ministry said the usual traffic separation lanes through the strait were not safe to use and that temporary routes to the north and south would handle departures. It said ships would be contacted individually and given transit days to reduce collision risks in the tense environment.