Amid a near-total halt in navigation and escalating security risks due to regional tensions and the naval blockade, the United Nations on Friday called for the evacuation of about 6,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz aboard some 500 ships.

The United Nations stressed on Thursday that the continuation of the war between Iran and the United States remains the main unanswered question regarding how to manage navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in the future, despite reiterating that imposing fees on safe passage violates international law.

The international organization reported that navigation through Hormuz remains almost completely halted, that 6,000 sailors remain stranded aboard 500 ships, that fees on safe passage are illegal under international law, and that high energy prices are raising the value of global trade.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN agency, said that 'very few ships, if any' are actually sailing through the narrow waterway, following renewed attacks on vessels since the resumption of hostilities on July 12-13.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, expressed deep concern about the 6,000 sailors still trapped aboard some 500 ships anchored in the Arabian Gulf behind the strait. He said: 'We must remember that these are innocent individuals who were trained to do their jobs, and they are not trained to fight, and the vessels are not equipped to defend themselves against missiles and drones.'

He stressed that seafarers play a crucial role in global trade worldwide. He added: 'Without them, 90% of goods transported by ships would not be able to reach their final destinations, and we would all be affected.'

Dominguez warned that maritime navigation has been 'pushed to the limit' in recent years, pointing to the disruption in the Black Sea caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war and the uncertainty in the Red Sea, where the Houthis in Yemen said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers and closed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.