The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Domínguez, has stated that the agency does not have "clear" information on the "specific criteria" that must be met by ships for "safe" passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the safety regulations established by Iran.
"As of now, I am still talking with them because I do not have specific or clear information on what those criteria are, and it is one of the main questions I have raised with them," Domínguez noted in an interview with Europa Press, in which he explained that Iran communicated to all IMO members its decision to allow the transit of ships through Hormuz only if they meet certain standards.
Domínguez indicated that vessels passing through the strait do so under the mechanism established by Iran within its territorial waters and not using "the traffic separation scheme" established by the IMO. "That’s why it is difficult to exactly corroborate the number of vessels that are transiting daily, but it remains a significant minority," he said.
While on a normal day, the average number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz was around 130, the transit has suddenly dropped due to the war in Iran. "It could be that two ships pass in a day, or it could be that none do. The reports we have received in recent days have indicated a number of vessels that can be counted on one hand," the Secretary-General clarified.
In the interview, Domínguez also referred to Iran's announcement that it would not allow the passage through the area of those ships considered by Tehran as "hostile" due to their alleged relationship with the United States or Israel and that participate in or support "acts of aggression" against it.
"The position of the IMO will always be to respect the right to freedom of navigation and the free passage of ships and for all to be treated the same way," he affirmed, recalling the recent statement from the IMO Council urging for negotiations to reopen the strait and establish a mechanism for evacuating stranded sailors in the area.
In this respect, he indicated that the Strait of Hormuz, "legally and according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, cannot be closed by one country." "It is not safe, from the organization's point of view, to transit through the strait," he said.
According to data provided by the IMO, around 20,000 sailors are trapped to the west of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on nearly 2,000 ships. Organizations like the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) or the International Maritime Chamber monitor the health status of the workers.
Many countries have established daily assistance centers to contact sailors, primarily to address mental health issues, while other coastal countries of the strait have also offered, with certain "limitations," medical assistance and provisions to ensure access to water and food.
"Crew changes are quite difficult, mainly because it is a combat area. At this moment, it will be very difficult to find sailors who willingly want to replace other crews on these ships when they are in the midst of an armed conflict," Domínguez detailed.
The Secretary-General also explained that there are restrictions in the airspace, including for ships to reach port. "Something that needs to be emphasized is that ships cannot be left without crew on board because it immediately becomes a danger to navigation and to other vessels," he underscored.
Domínguez has urged not to use maritime transport as a "collateral measure," recalling that this situation already occurred less than two years ago with the attacks by Houthi rebels on ships navigating in the Red Sea.
"There have also been talks about armed escorts. I still say that this is not a sustainable long-term solution. At the same time, it does not eliminate the possibility of a merchant ship being attacked 100% and that we have sailors who could be injured or, worse, could die from such incidents," he pointed out.
In this way, the Secretary-General of the IMO has called to "address the root causes" of the conflict, to de-escalate, and to allow maritime transport to function and operate "normally."
Regarding the alleged presence of mines in the Strait of Hormuz, Domínguez emphasized that it is not confirmed and that from the organization they condemn "any act by any country that has a negative effect on sailors, on maritime transport, and on vessels."
"At this moment, despite it being mentioned, here at the IMO we do not have anything officially confirming that, for example, the traffic separation system is mined and cannot be used at this time," he concluded.