US-Iran Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Offers Hope for 20,000 Stranded Seafarers
Erin Hale
Maritime advocacy groups cautiously welcome a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes that around 20,000 stranded seafarers can soon return home after months of conflict.
Seafarer advocacy groups have cautiously welcomed a temporary agreement aimed at ending the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, expressing hope that around 20,000 stranded crew members will soon be able to return home.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the strait would be reopened on Friday, as Iran dismantles its 'tollbooth' system and the U.S. ends its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General Thomas Kazakos said the announcement brings relief to maritime workers who have been 'caught in the middle of this conflict.' 'Getting them out of the area safely must be the top priority, but it will take time,' Kazakos said in a statement to Al Jazeera.
Manoj Yadav, Secretary General of the Forward Seamen's Union of India, also welcomed the deal. 'If this agreement becomes a reality, we send our congratulations, because thousands of Indian seafarers are currently stranded there,' Yadav said.
The United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) said Monday it will begin implementing plans to evacuate stranded crew members around the waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said the evacuation of seafarers will require time to 'ensure that all necessary safety and security guarantees are in place.'
About 500 vessels are waiting to transit the strait, according to the ICS. Iran and the U.S. have conducted 46 known attacks on international shipping lanes during the conflict, killing at least 14 seafarers, according to IMO data. Iran also mined the strait, and clearance operations remain incomplete.
Steven Jones, founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, which tracks crew welfare worldwide, said it will be some time before seafarers feel safe on the waterway, regardless of any agreement. 'From a seafarer's perspective, a ceasefire and talk of 'reopening' is encouraging, but such statements have been made before; this issue is about risk and trust,' Jones told Al Jazeera. 'Reopening is not a switch. It's a convergence of judgments from shipowners, charterers, insurers, masters, and crews that a voyage is acceptable. That requires time and evidence—consistent peace where needed, clear and credible threat reduction, reliable communications, and a few smooth transit cycles,' Jones added.
