The United Nations International Maritime Organization estimated Wednesday that about six thousand sailors remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, in a statement condemning the renewed confrontations in the region and the Strait of Hormuz.

The organization's Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement that "these attacks only fuel the state of fear and psychological distress already suffered by some six thousand sailors who remain stranded on ships unable to safely depart."

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He advised the various parties concerned to avoid "their ships passing through this strait."

More talks

US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that the truce between the United States and Iran had ended, although he left the door open for more talks, following renewed mutual strikes after Iranian attacks targeted ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz. This strategic maritime corridor remains a flashpoint in the conflict that began in late February with large-scale US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

Imposing transit fees

Tehran insists on controlling the waterway, announcing its intention to impose transit fees and threatening to strike ships that deviate from the only course it allows. The Iranian military has launched attacks on at least three ships in the past few days, prompting the United States to launch large-scale strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday, followed by retaliatory attacks by Iran on Gulf states. Dominguez said, "I condemn the attacks that occurred over the past two days targeting a number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz," adding that "innocent seafarers" face "grave risk."

Restraint

Dominguez called on "all concerned states to exercise maximum restraint, work to de-escalate without delay, and facilitate the safe departure of ships still stranded in the Gulf since the beginning of the crisis." He stressed that "the safety of seafarers must remain our top priority." Days after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran on June 17, which allowed a gradual resumption of traffic through the strait, the International Maritime Organization launched a plan to evacuate 11 sailors from 600 ships stranded in the region, a process expected to take several weeks.

Two alternative routes

Arsenio Dominguez said at an International Maritime Organization meeting held this week in London, "During the operation of the evacuation system, 136 ships carrying a total of 2,900 sailors were successfully evacuated via two alternative routes." The evacuations were carried out in coordination with local authorities via two separate routes, one close to the Iranian coast and the other close to the coast of Oman, after the usually used route became impassable due to mines. However, Dominguez noted that "this operation has been suspended since then, as the safety of ships and seafarers can no longer be guaranteed."