IMO Emergency Council Meeting on Hormuz — UN Maritime Body Seeks Corridor for Stranded Ships

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) convened an emergency council meeting to address the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz and seek a humanitarian maritime corridor for stranded seafarers and ships. Over 500 tankers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf region. The UN maritime body opened talks with the strait 'effectively closed.' Iran's FM Araghchi confirmed that multiple countries have approached Tehran to negotiate safe passage for their oil/gas vessels, and Iran said it is 'open' to those talks on a bilateral basis. Iran enacted a selective blockade — officially closed to US, Israeli, and Western-allied vessels; permitting passage for ships from friendly nations (China, India, others) via Iranian territorial waters.