IMO Chief: Military Alone Won’t Solve Hormuz Crisis

LONDON, April 3 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Thursday that tensions in the Strait of Hormuz must be de-escalated, stressing that military approaches alone are ineffective and that practical maritime solutions are needed to resolve the crisis, reported Xinhua.

According to a press briefing on the International Maritime Organisation website, Dominguez made the remarks during a virtual meeting on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and attended by foreign ministers from more than 40 countries.  

During the meeting, Dominguez briefed participants on the IMO’s ongoing efforts, urging countries to back diplomatic initiatives to evacuate around 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf and to establish humanitarian corridors for urgent aid.

Following the meeting, Dominguez said that fragmented responses are no longer sufficient to resolve the crisis. "What is urgently required is diplomatic engagement, practical and neutral solutions, and coordinated international action," he noted.

He added that the IMO is advancing a maritime evacuation framework based on cooperation among coastal states, security guarantees, and operational coordination, with the clear objective of releasing stranded vessels, enabling safe crew rotations, and preventing an environmental disaster.

Since the outbreak of the conflict on Feb. 28, when the United States (US) and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran, the IMO has reported 21 attacks on commercial vessels.

These incidents have resulted in the deaths of 10 seafarers, with several others seriously injured.

Following an extraordinary session of the IMO Council on March 18–19, the body outlined several key measures, including progressing talks with relevant states on a safe-passage framework to evacuate stranded seafarers, working with regional countries to safeguard supply chains and enable humanitarian access, and strengthening information-sharing and coordination with industry partners.

The organisation has also strengthened data collection and verification on maritime incidents, while contributing to a dedicated United Nations (UN) task force on the Strait of Hormuz aimed at addressing humanitarian needs through coordinated technical mechanisms.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA