Lloyd’s List reported on May 9 that more than 160 mainstream oil tankers have
been stranded in Persian Gulf waters since the regional conflict began in late
February, some for over 100 days. IMO Secretary-General Domingues warned on May
9 that vessels should not attempt passages through the Strait of Hormuz without
credible security assurances and that the region remains highly volatile, saying
safe navigation cannot be guaranteed. He urged masters and shipowners to carry
out full risk assessments under international safety and security management
frameworks and said commercial or operational factors must not justify exposing
crews to high risk; protecting seafarer lives must be the priority.
