Around 20,000 sailors remain trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed the matter on Wednesday, reports BBC. It has brought maritime trade through the strategic waterway to a near standstill. An additional 15,000 cruise ship passengers are facing severe hardship.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint connecting Persian Gulf ports to the open sea, handles nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply. However, since the outbreak of the conflict, Iran has closed the passage, posing a serious threat to global supply chains.
Iran’s military has issued strong warnings that any unauthorised vessel attempting to pass through the waterway will be targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it now maintains “complete control” over the passage, cautioning that ships risk being struck by missiles or drones.
