Full Breakdown
UN’s IMO Starts Evacuation of 11,000 Sailors from Hormuz
6/24/2026, 2:19:13 AM
Background
The United States and Israel launched a war on 28 February 2026, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz. The closure halted oil shipments, pushed Brent crude above $100 per barrel and stranded more than 11,000 seafarers on vessels in the Gulf.
Evacuation Plan
The UN International Maritime Organization, led by Secretary-General Arsenio Domínguez, announced an evacuation with Iran, Oman, the United States and coastal states. Two temporary routes will be used, with vessels receiving instructions via Oman’s notice to mariners, and the IMO issuing daily reports on ships leaving safely.
Traffic
Traffic remains below pre-war levels. Kpler data show at least 172 vessels have transited, including 42 on 22 June and a record 36 commercial ships on 24 June. Over 200 tankers remained queued on 25 June, versus a pre-conflict average of about 138 crossings per day.
Official Statements
Domínguez called the MoU a decisive step toward restoring maritime security. Rubio said the strait is an international waterway and barred tolls. Trump posted that Iran agreed to indefinite nuclear inspections. Iran’s President Pezeshkian said the nation will never negotiate about its defenses. Oman pledged toll-free safe passage, and Iran and Oman announced a joint working group on navigation costs.
Criticism & Opposition
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the strait “will never return to the pre-war status quo.” A June U.S. Senate vote halted the war. Iran also rejected the U.S. claim that the IAEA can inspect sites bombed by the US and Israel, calling such inspections impossible.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The United States says the MoU obliges Iran to permit robust IAEA inspections; Tehran says the agency cannot access bombed facilities. Washington calls any charge a “toll,” Tehran calls it a “maritime service fee.” Vessel-count figures differ across sources, and the MoU’s final terms on nuclear oversight and frozen assets remain unsettled.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations,” — Arsenio Domínguez, IMO Secretary-General
- “It's an international waterway. No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway. That's existing international law,” — Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State
- “Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!). This will insure 'Nuclear Honesty.'” — Donald Trump, U.S. President
- “will never negotiate with anyone, under any circumstances, ever, about our defensive capabilities” — Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran
What’s Next
The IMO will keep issuing updates while the MoU’s 60-day toll-free period is observed. Iran and Oman’s working group will meet on navigation costs. Negotiations on nuclear inspections, frozen assets and the $300 billion reconstruction fund are slated for coming weeks, shaping the strait’s long-term reopening.
