More than 11,000 seafarers have been trapped in the Persian Gulf since February 2026, when rising tensions disrupted shipping through one of the world's most critical oil transit points.
On June 23, the International Maritime Organization announced a phased evacuation plan. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez confirmed the operation will use established Traffic Separation Schemes-maritime highway lanes-to guide vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oman is issuing a Notice to Mariners detailing the phases. Iran and the United States, having reached a ceasefire, are cooperating on the safe-passage framework first discussed in March 2026. At the peak, an estimated 600 to 2,000 vessels were affected; 14 seafarers lost their lives.
Historically a diplomatic back-channel between Iran and the West, Oman is now facilitating maritime coordination. An earlier Iranian proposal to accept Bitcoin for tolls never materialized-the current operation relies on intergovernmental channels. Dominguez sees this mission as a model for future maritime crisis response.