Hormuz Evacuation Plans Emerge After Months Of Gridlock

An international coalition on Tuesday announced a large-scale plan to free hundreds of ships trapped around the Strait of Hormuz.

The operation, developed by the United Nations-chartered International Maritime Organization, is backed by the U.S., Iran, Oman and other Gulf countries, the group said. It intends to put an end to the months-long ordeal that began when Iran closed the strait in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks in February.

The deal will mark the end of “months of hardship and distress” for more than 11,000 seafarers who have been stuck in the strait, said Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO secretary-general. He called it “a decisive step towards restoring maritime security and bringing to an end the unacceptable attacks against civilian shipping.”

“We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” he said in a statement.

The group did not provide any estimate for how long it would take to clear the backlog of about 500 ships, though experts have previously estimated it would likely take weeks.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the strait is now fully reopened.

An IMO announcement essentially describes a temporary, one-way corridor through which stranded ships can exit the strait in controlled groups – necessary because Iran is believed to have mined other typical shipping lanes through the strait.

It is unclear how many ships will be able to cross per day while demining work is ongoing, but a senior Omani military official warned in a bulletin that there was an “elevated risk of collision” that would require a “gradual and controlled evacuation.”

The Oman Navy has established a northern and southern evacuation route, close to the coast of Oman or Iran, according to the bulletin. Each ship will be given a specific window to cross.

The closure of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of daily energy output traveled before the war, has strangled oil supplies especially for Asian countries over the last four months and threatened a global recession. Additionally, the strait’s closure has impacted other commodities such as natural gas, fertilizer and helium.

Negotiations on a fragile 60-day ceasefire are still underway between the U.S. and Iran and significant uncertainties remain. The framework agreement signed by Trump allows for the possibility that Iran could charge ships for crossing Hormuz after the initial period of the agreement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in the region to speak with the leaders of other Gulf countries. He said he expects Hormuz to remain toll-free in the future.

“No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” he said. “That’s existing international law.”

Ship traffic has increased in recent days – at least 119 ships transited the strait last week, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which monitors global shipping. That is a major uptick since late February, but still far below the 700 ships crossing the strait at the same time last year. Before the war, about 130 ships crossed a day.

On Monday, there were 35 commercial ship transits, according to Kpler, the commodities research firm.