UN maritime chief says 1,500 ships, 20,000 crew trapped in Persian Gulf
Around 1,500 ships and 20,000 crew members are trapped in the Persian Gulf because of Iran’s threats in the Strait of Hormuz, the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization said.
“Right now, we have approximately 20,000 crewmen and around 1,500 ships trapped,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told the Maritime Convention of the Americas in Panama.
Dominguez said the stranded crew members were “innocent people who are doing their jobs every day for the benefit of other countries,” but had been caught in geopolitical tensions beyond their control.
He said more than 30 attacks on vessels had killed 10 sailors, urging companies to avoid sending more ships into the Persian Gulf to prevent further casualties and economic losses.
