IMO says 400 ships and 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The International Maritime Organization said about 400 ships and roughly 6,000 seafarers aboard them remain stranded in the Gulf, six months after the start of the war. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said some vessels and their crews have managed to leave the Gulf, but hundreds of ships have been unable to make a safe departure since the conflict began. Speaking at a regular briefing, Dominguez said 70 attacks on ships around the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have been documented since late February, with 19 seafarers killed. He described the situation as an ongoing threat to commercial navigation through one of the world's busiest shipping corridors. The IMO chief warned that the deterioration of maritime security in the Gulf and worldwide is harmful to everyone, but poses a particular risk to the thousands of seafarers directly affected by the conflict. No further details on evacuation arrangements or safe-passage corridors were immediately available.