Statement by IMO Secretary-General on the recent attacks on ships in the Middle East region

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez issued the following statement:

“The attacks on and seizures of commercial ships are unacceptable.

I once again call for these reckless actions to cease and for any ships and innocent seafarers to be released immediately.

The situation in the region remains extremely volatile. I cannot understand why companies would take risks and endanger seafarers’ lives.

Today I spoke to a seafarer who was stranded in the Persian Gulf.

He described the constant stress of missiles overhead, the danger of falling debris striking the ship, the need to ration supplies, and the difficulty of keeping his family informed about his situation.

This seafarer was thankfully able to leave, but nearly 20,000 others remain, after more than seven weeks, still uncertain when they will be able to return home. There is much more work to be done.

De-escalation, meaningful actions and restoring the freedom of navigation is the only way forward.”