© Unsplash/F. Boncompagni Shipping has been under unprecedented pressure in recent years. Thousands of sailors remain trapped in the Strait of Hormuz Peace and Security
Amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States, the question of how future shipping will operate through the Strait of Hormuz remains open. Traffic along this vital shipping route has been brought to a near standstill, with some 6,000 seafarers remaining stranded on board 500 vessels. The UN reiterated that charging fees for safe passage is contrary to international law. Meanwhile, rising energy prices are driving up global trade values.
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), after the resumption of hostilities on July 12-13 and new attacks on ships, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has virtually ceased. Currently, only a few ships pass this route. people trained to do their jobs, not to participate in hostilities. The ships are also not designed to protect against missiles and drones,” he said.
Dominguez stressed that seafarers play a vital role in global trade and without them, maritime transport will grind to a halt. “90 percent of cargo transported by sea will not reach its destination, and the consequences will be felt by all of us,” the IMO chief warned.
Maritime shipping has already come under unprecedented pressure in recent years, he said. Among the reasons, he named disruptions in the Black Sea caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as well as instability in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers and closed the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively cutting off shipping to and from the Suez Canal.
“We have reached the limit,” Dominguez emphasized. “Vital cargo and goods that either come from conflict-ridden regions or are needed by the population of countries where there is war remain blocked.” Currently, about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies from the Persian Gulf pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Dominguez stressed that until the conflict is resolved, ships should not cross this waterway. he stated.
Safety of seafarers is a top priority
The IMO’s first priority remains the evacuation of all sailors trapped in the strait area since the outbreak of war on February 28, when Israel and the United States began bombing Iran.
“Once all sailors are safe, it is necessary to obtain assurances that the area is clear of mines and the strait is safe for the passage of ships. Then it will be possible to gradually resume traffic and return to the previous level – about 135 ships per day. It was in this mode that the strait worked before,” Dominguez emphasized, adding that having received these assurances, the IMO will continue to engage on the issue of the future management regime of the Strait of Hormuz.The IMO chief noted that international law does not provide for any mechanisms allowing states to charge merchant ships for passage through the strait. He cited the 2007 agreement governing shipping through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore as a successful alternative. Human rights experts have condemned the renewed fighting between the US and Iran. In a joint statement, ten experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council highlighted reports of attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including ports in the south of the country, as well as power outages in the city of Chabahar.
According to them, the shells fell near the Bushehr nuclear power plant. Damage to railroad tracks was also reported. The desalination plant was also hit, leaving about ten thousand people without water.
“Local authorities and Iranian media also reported attacks on Semnan airport, a granary, a water bottling plant and areas surrounding a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz, from which patients had to be evacuated,” experts said. injuries.
“Among the dead – fishermen, affected night shift workers, and residents of informal settlements, people who were already vulnerable and long deprived of basic services,” the experts noted. work.
Strait of Hormuz crisis accelerates global trade growth
World trade turnover reached 13.7 in the first half of 2026, according to the latest international trade data trillion dollars, an increase of 12.5 percent compared to the same period in 2025. One of the factors behind this growth was the conflict between the United States and Iran.
As noted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the sharp increase in value indicators is not explained by the growth in trade volumes, but by higher energy prices directly related to the conflict.
Taking into account an increase in trade in services by 10.5 percent, the total value of world trade grew by about two trillion dollars and could reach a record level by the end of the year.