An estimated 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Arabian Gulf due to the threat of Iranian attacks on the Strait of Hormuz, the head of the UN’s maritime agency told The National.
The International Maritime Agency has called on ships to halt all transits of the region until conditions improve. Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the IMO, called for international diplomacy to resolve the situation and revealed the body was dedicating its efforts to ensure the well-being of those at sea since US-Iran war began on Saturday.
Iran's forces said they attacked a US oil tanker in international water near Kuwait on Thursday, which then caught fire, Iranian state media reported. The US has yet to comment.
“During a conflict, any ship that gets targeted, of course my first concern is the people on board, the innocent seafarers that are working day in, day out to provide for everyone around the world,” Mr Dominguez told The National.
“Shipping is not part of a conflict. It should not be a collateral used as an advantage, [because] this will create a disadvantage for everyone.”
IMO chief
The UK Maritime Trade Operations said a tanker anchored further south on the coast of Kuwait was hit by a “large explosion” on Wednesday night. The vessel was taking on water and oil was seen leaking from a cargo tank.
Operations suspended
Commercial shipping can be tough work, with crew members away from home for months at a time. Many of those now stranded in Gulf waters will be reaching the end of their contract but will not know when they can go home.
Shipping companies have suspended operations in the Strait of Hormuz, ordering vessels to take shelter after Iran threatened to attack ships crossing the vital channel that links the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and through which about a fifth of the world's oil typically passes.
Iran has a drone carrier ship stationed near the strait that it could use to attack transiting vessels, shipbroker BRS said. It also carries short to long-range missiles.
With Arabian Gulf ports full, many ships remain at sea. They cannot be left unattended and crews cannot leave without being replaced. Mr Dominguez said the top priority was to “first safeguard the seafarers in order to continue to trade in the way that we're supposed to”.
Another hidden problem is the fate of cruise passengers who are stuck in the waterways of the Gulf.
“We're talking about 20,000 seafarers that are actually being affected, plus 15,000 people on passenger ships that have been caught up in the middle of these situations,” Mr Dominguez said.
The IMO is speaking to its member states over preparations for naval assistance to ensure the safe passage of ships through the channel, he added. US President Donald Trump has signalled the US would provide assistance and political risk insurance for ships passing through the channel, while French President Emmanuel Macron has said a naval coalition is being formed.
But Mr Dominguez believes the solution ultimately lies at the negotiating table. He called for “engagement with all the parties”, in particular those “directly affected”. He said: “The reality is that solutions are found not in a unilateral manner. Solutions are found when we all sit together.”
Consumers are likely to pay the price of the crisis. The cost of oil and natural gas has shot up and more wide-reaching effects are expected as the conflict drags on. “It's just five days into it but the longer that this prolongs, the more that we will see a negative impact,” he said.
He referred to insurance companies refusing to provide risk insurance to vessels operating in the Gulf, or offering cover at much higher prices. “All these costs, additional costs, somebody has to bear those and sometimes they get passed on to the consumers,” he said.
Port operations can take months to restore even after only a few days of disruption. “The moment that you affect over 3,000 vessels that sail in and out of the Strait of Hormuz and then go to all the other ports around the world, you see a negative effect in the operations, in the scheduling of the ports, in the ships, which also increases the cost of freights,” Mr Dominguez told The National. “All those are negative ramifications that we need to look at.”
It is the second major crisis to affect the shipping industry in two and a half years, after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023. The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni militia, was targeting ships crossing the Red Sea into the Suez Canal in what they said was in retaliation for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Though a US-led ceasefire agreement was reached last year following strikes on the Houthis, attacks on commercial ships persist.
The IMO does not get involved in conflict resolution – which is a remit of the UN – but it has been increasingly drawn into war-related talks. Last year, it helped to negotiate the release of the MV Galaxy Leader crew, held captive for more than a year by the Houthis.
The repeated crises have meant young people are turning away from the seafaring profession. “We continue to try to attract the younger generation, new professionals into the shipping sectors. But the reality is that the security concerns now makes it even more difficult for us to attract people to work at sea. And I do understand why those concerns are there,” he said.
Yet there are lessons that could be drawn from the past two years. “During the Red Sea crisis, countries came together because we all recognise how important the freedom of navigation is to guaranteeing the safety of seafarers. Shipping continues to provide the essential goods for everyone around the world,” he said.
Maritime sources said they expected war risk insurance rates to surge when underwriters reviewed cover on Monday.
War risk cover is required when sailing into perilous areas and the Lloyd's of London market has already listed Iran, the Gulf and parts of the Gulf of Oman as high-risk.
