The head of the International Maritime Organization says countries supporting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are sending “the right message” as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to threaten global shipping.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez also warned against the increasing use of shipping as leverage in geopolitical conflicts in an interview with Singapore media on Monday.
Dominguez said the International Maritime Organization has developed evacuation plans for some 20,000 seafarers on more than 1,600 ships stranded in the Persian Gulf.
The International Maritime Organization has also developed arrangements with some countries to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is cleared of mines and other hazards when shipping eventually resumes, The Straits Times reported on Tuesday, citing the head of the International Maritime Organization.
A brief but chaotic reopening over the weekend of April 18 ended with the United States maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports and seizing an Iranian cargo ship, dashing hopes that a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran would ease pressure on the shipping industry.
Commercial traffic in Hormuz almost came to a standstill on April 20 due to uncertainty over whether the US-Iran truce agreement that was due to expire on April 22 could be maintained. Pakistan’s plans for a second round of negotiations also remain uncertain.
Dominguez, who arrived in Singapore to attend the Singapore Maritime Week from April 20 to 24, said that given the current situation, disruptions in fertilizer and natural gas supplies may last until 2027, provided hostilities end and global trade flows begin to resume.
“The reality is that we need the international community to come together to support de-escalation so that we can trade as usual,” he said, noting that the International Maritime Organization has been in contact with neighboring countries such as Iran and Oman to discuss how to resume safe trade through the Strait of Hormuz after the conflict ends.
“It’s not over yet, but the sooner it’s over, the sooner we can start dealing with the next round of challenges,” Dominguez was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“The longer this goes on, the more negative impact we’re going to have on the global economy.”
However, he said he hopes the situation can improve. “I still see the positive side of the fact that the parties to the conflict are talking to each other,” he said.
Dominguez also rejected the idea of imposing tolls or payment mechanisms in waterways used for international navigation.
“I want to emphasize the Singapore government’s position, which is very clear, that there will be no negotiation on these terms,” he said.
The head of the International Maritime Organization did not specify which countries had made the commitments, noting only that a summit of 51 countries led by France and Britain on April 17 discussed the Gulf crisis.
So far, 22 countries have publicly signed up to a “defensive” multinational mission to keep waterways open while peace is achieved.
However, he stressed that such plans can only be implemented when it is safe to do so.
“We cannot put our sailors at risk,” he said, noting that ships sailing through the strait during the brief weekend window reported near-misses from military drone and missile attacks.
Asked whether shipowners may need to increase security arrangements such as armed escorts or patrols once waterways reopen, Dominguez said these arrangements may be needed initially to provide a sense of security and ensure insurance remains affordable, limiting the impact on freight costs.
But he stressed that this was not sustainable in the long term.
“We have to remember that we are not military assets and sailors are not trained to fight.”
The IMO is also open to other solutions, such as establishing additional shipping corridors in the Strait of Hormuz, but this must be in compliance with international law and IMO rules.
“We need cooperation between Iran and Oman, not unilateral decisions,” he added. Oman also borders the strait and controls some of its shipping lanes.
Asked about the precedent the crisis could set for other maritime chokepoints such as the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, Dominguez pointed to the cooperative mechanism between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as a model.
The mechanism was established in 2007 to allow the three countries and the wider maritime community to engage in dialogue on navigation safety and environmental protection in the two straits.
“It improves shipping operations and we can replicate it in other areas,” he said.
Reflecting on the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Dominguez said the crisis highlighted the importance of maintaining freedom and safety of shipping.
“If we start moving cargo out of the Gulf to other modes of transport, they will only be able to carry 5 to 10 percent of daily shipping volume,” he said.
“We can find new ways to operate, we can find new routes. But we will not be able to meet the needs of the global economy,” the head of the International Maritime Organization said.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
