A high-stakes maritime evacuation plan is quietly taking shape as hundreds of vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, with the International Maritime Organization preparing to move only when the guns fall silent. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez revealed that efforts are under way to organise a safe passage for ships trapped by more than seven weeks of escalating conflict following US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
For now, the plan remains on hold. Dominguez said any operation hinges on firm signs of de-escalation, alongside assurances that the Strait of Hormuz is free from threats, including the potential presence of mines. Without those guarantees, no movement will be authorised.
Roughly 800 ships are currently stuck in the Gulf, as traffic through one of the world’s most critical chokepoints has slowed to a near standstill. Iranian warnings and attacks have left shipowners unwilling to risk the passage, although some vessels have been permitted to leave under tightly controlled routes, in some cases reportedly involving payments.
The situation has been further inflamed by a US blockade aimed at cutting off Iranian war revenues, intensifying already fragile conditions as a temporary ceasefire edges towards expiry. Behind the scenes, the IMO is mapping out how an evacuation could unfold, including prioritising vessels based on how long crews have been stranded.
Any eventual transit would follow the long-established Traffic Separation Scheme introduced by Iran and Oman and adopted decades ago, offering a structured route through the narrow waterway. Dominguez stressed that the operation is not about cargo or commercial interests but about people.
The focus, he said, is firmly on seafarers who have been caught in the crisis, with the proposed corridor envisioned as a humanitarian effort to get crews safely out of danger rather than a bid to restore trade flows.