Call for a Black Sea-style safe shipping corridor for Hormuz
- States, industry groups looking for ways to resupply stranded ships and change crews
- IMO could ‘encourage’ a safe shipping corridor, but it would need countries to implement it
- Russia blasts lack of regard for civilians in Iran, as countries argue who is to blame for shipping fallout
A group of countries, including Bahrain and the UAE, want the IMO to help set up a safe shipping corridor to aid thousands of seafarers stranded by the latest Gulf war
THE International Maritime Organization is mulling a Black Sea-style safe shipping corridor to let stranded vessels escape the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahrain, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Singapore and the UAE made the suggestion in a submission the IMO Council, which is discussing how to respond to the latest Middle East Gulf war at an extraordinary meeting this week.
They said the “provisional and urgent measure” would help evacuate merchant ships from the high-risk area.
“A significant number of seafarers and merchant vessels remain stranded in the gulf, and some action is needed to address this problem,” the submission said.
The IMO Council agreed in 2022 to back the establishment of a safe corridor for ships in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
States have yet to debate the corridor proposal in detail. But delegates and industry associations have spoken about the need to keep stranded ships and seafarers resupplied, and for countries to allow crew changes.
Any such initiative — if the IMO decides to support it — would be up to countries to implement, and they are split.
Iran said its attacks were in self-defence in response to US and Israeli attacks on the country. Its ability to restrict shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is seen as one of the few ways it can retaliate against the US and Israel.
On Wednesday, countries said flight and maritime disruptions in the region have put humanitarian supplies at risk of six-month delays.
The Bahrain submission said the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs was speaking with key parties and pressing for humanitarian supplies to be allowed to move unobstructed through the strait.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and the UAE said: “There is a need for the provision of water, food, fuel and other essential supplies, as well as facilitating crew changes of ships.”
Some 92 countries have asked for an official IMO declaration condemning Iran for attacking ships, though Russia, China and Iran itself have spoken against it.
Iran repeated its denial that the strait is closed to shipping, prompting a few laughs from industry delegates at the back of the room.
Russia said the debate on Wednesday was one-sided, with countries blaming Iran but ignoring the US’ invasion that led to the danger to shipping.
“You get the impression nobody has a care about the civilians in Iran,” Russia added.
