London [UK], June 25: The first ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz under a UN-backed operation to evacuate thousands of seafarers and restore maritime traffic after weeks of disruption, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Wednesday.
The UN shipping agency announced plans on Tuesday to evacuate 11,000 seafarers from the region.The first vessels transited the strategic waterway later the same day, an IMO spokeswoman said. The spokesperson did not offer details on how many vessels had crossed as part of the plan, but Reuters cited ship-tracking data as saying at least two dry bulk ships and one cargo ship had passed over the last 12 hours.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global trade and energy supplies, had been effectively paralysed for weeks after Iran began threatening and attacking civilian vessels and the United States subsequently imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
The escalation followed joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28. Washington and Tehran have since reached a preliminary agreement to end hostilities.
The operation is being carried out in close coordination with Iran, Oman, other Gulf states, the US and the shipping industry, according to the London-based IMO.
Two maritime corridors have been established: a northern route controlled by Iran and a southern route overseen by Oman and the United States. Ships are free to use either passage, the agency said. The necessary security guarantees have been secured and safety conditions thoroughly assessed, the IMO added. According to the agency, 14 seafarers were killed during the conflict.
Source: Qatar Tribune
