UN-Backed Evacuation Plan Opens Strait of Hormuz as Stranded Ships Resume Transit

24/06/2026

UN-Backed Evacuation Plan Opens Strait of Hormuz as Stranded Ships Resume Transit

LONDON, Jun 24: Commercial vessels have begun passing through the Strait of Hormuz under a newly implemented evacuation plan coordinated by the UN shipping agency, offering relief to thousands of seafarers and hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization confirmed that vessels had already started transiting the strategic waterway under the scheme but declined to identify the ships involved.

According to Reuters, citing ship-tracking data from LSEG, at least two dry bulk carriers and one cargo vessel successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz during the previous 12 hours.

The report added that at least 35 other commercial vessels—including dry bulk carriers, cargo ships and container vessels—were preparing to make the passage, based on data from LSEG and MarineTraffic.

The evacuation framework, which reportedly took several months to negotiate and finalize, is designed to facilitate the safe movement of hundreds of vessels and approximately 11,000 seafarers who had been unable to leave the Persian Gulf amid regional tensions and maritime security concerns.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical shipping chokepoints, handling a significant share of global oil and gas exports. The reopening of transit under the UN-backed arrangement is expected to ease pressure on international shipping routes and help restore the flow of maritime trade through the region.