Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The United Nations has commenced an evacuation operation for approximately 11,000 seafarers left stranded aboard vessels in the Gulf of Oman and surrounding waters following the fragile ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran, as the international community works to undo some of the most immediate humanitarian consequences of the three-month conflict that effectively shut down one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.
The UN shipping agency confirmed that the evacuation plan, designed to allow vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively blockaded during the war, was now underway. The operation comes in the wake of the ceasefire agreement reached last week between Washington and Tehran, which has opened a narrow diplomatic window for the resumption of maritime movement through a waterway that accounts for a significant share of global energy shipments.
UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, speaking at the United Nations headquarters, described the relief that comes with the launch of the operation and outlined the coordination framework being put in place. The large-scale operation, he said, would be carried out in close cooperation with Iran, Oman, and other coastal states in the region, as well as the United States and the maritime industry. He characterised it as a significant step toward alleviating the humanitarian impact of the crisis on thousands of seafarers who had endured months of restricted movement, mounting welfare concerns, and profound uncertainty about their situation and safety.
The seafarers, drawn from countries around the world and employed across commercial shipping fleets carrying cargo, fuel and commodities, had been effectively trapped when Iran moved to restrict or deny passage through the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of hostilities. For the crews aboard those vessels, the standoff translated into months without shore leave, with deteriorating supplies and communications in many cases, and no clear timeline for resolution.
In a parallel development signalling a broader de-escalation between Washington and Tehran, the United States agreed to waive sanctions on Iran for a period of 60 days starting from Monday, following the first round of formal negotiations under the peace agreement framework. President Trump also indicated that Iranian assets that had previously been frozen would be made available to fund the purchase of humanitarian supplies sourced from the United States.
The Strait of Hormuz carries enormous strategic and economic weight: roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through it, along with large volumes of liquefied natural gas, and its disruption during the conflict sent shockwaves through global energy markets and supply chains. The resumption of maritime traffic, even in a tentative and supervised form, will be closely watched by energy importers, insurance markets, and shipping companies that have been recalibrating their risk exposures since the blockade began.
For the seafarers themselves, many of whom come from South Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, the beginning of the evacuation represents the first concrete step toward a return to normal working conditions. Maritime welfare organisations had raised sustained alarms about the psychological and physical toll the prolonged standoff was taking on crews who had no means of disembarking or rotating out. The UN operation, if executed smoothly, could set a precedent for how multilateral coordination can address the humanitarian dimension of geopolitical conflicts at sea.
