PANAMA: Around 1,500 ships carrying nearly 20,000 crew members are currently stranded in the Gulf due to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States, the UN maritime chief has said.
Speaking at the Maritime Convention of the Americas, International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said the crews are innocent workers caught in geopolitical tensions beyond their control, while global shipping routes face severe disruption.
The crisis began after military conflict erupted in the Middle East, triggering Iranian retaliation and restricting movement through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy and trade corridors. Before the escalation, nearly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments passed through the route.
Dominguez warned that global shipping, which carries over 80% of traded goods worldwide, is now under serious pressure due to the blockade.
He noted that the situation has driven up global energy prices as tanker movement remains restricted.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a naval plan to escort trapped vessels and reopen the strait but later paused the operation.
Washington is now awaiting Iran’s response to diplomatic proposals aimed at ending the conflict and restoring maritime flow through Hormuz.
