Checkpoint: 40 countries supported the ship evacuation plan from the Persian Gulf

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed an evacuation plan from the Persian Gulf for merchant ships and their crews trapped there, Izvestia has learned. It has already been supported by 40 member countries of the organization's council, the IMO reported. We are talking about about 2 thousand ships and 20 thousand sailors who cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz after the start of the war between the United States and Israel with Iran. The details of the evacuation mechanism are currently being worked out, but it is obvious that it can only be activated if there are signs of de-escalation and guarantees of safe navigation, experts believe. What is the plan and whether the International Maritime Organization will pay Iran for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz — in the Izvestia article.

Stocks of 20 thousand sailors are running out

The 40 member countries of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including the United States, China, Great Britain and Turkey, supported the plan they developed and proposed for the evacuation of merchant ships and their crews from the Persian Gulf. The official representative of IMO Natasha Brown told Izvestia about this.

— All council members supported the plan. IMO will coordinate the process and create a list of vessels that need to leave the zone. The International Maritime Organization is working closely with relevant States and industry partners to prepare a list of affected vessels," she said.

According to the explanations of the International Maritime Organization, the proposed plan does not provide for any forceful or coercive measures and is solely of a coordinating nature.

— We are talking about forming a plan within which vessels will be able to safely leave the zone according to the already existing system of separation of shipping traffic, if safe conditions are provided for this, — said Natasha Brown.

According to industry monitoring systems, about 2,000 merchant vessels are currently blocked in the waters of the Persian Gulf. Among them are about 150 ultra—large oil tankers of the VLCC class, providing a significant part of global crude oil supplies.

The total volume of oil on board is estimated at about 132 million barrels, which is the equivalent of global consumption in a day and a half. Experts note that even a short-term delay in such volumes on one section of the route is already putting pressure on insurance markets, freight rates and the cost of energy resources.

However, as the IMO emphasizes, the key problem remains not only the economic consequences, but also the human risks. "There are about 20 thousand sailors from different countries on board the blocked vessels. People are in a state of extreme stress, and provisions are approaching critical levels on many ships," said IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.

How will the evacuation mechanism work?

In the current conditions, ships leaving the Persian Gulf can be ensured only on the basis of direct or indirect agreements between shipowners and the Iranian authorities, said Mikhail Khachaturian, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. It is Tehran, controlling key sections of the fairways of the Strait of Hormuz and the passage regime, that is able to provide pilotage and safe withdrawal of vessels, including bypassing potentially dangerous areas and areas of possible mining. However, this is only possible if appropriate agreements are reached.

"It seems most likely that shipowners will delegate to IMO the authority to build such agreements with the Iranian authorities and, probably, make payments,— Mikhail Khachaturian explained in an interview with Izvestia.

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Why is the business not planning to return to the old logistics even after the opening of the strait

According to Ekaterina Yumasheva, co-owner of insurance broker Mains, in the current situation, the International Maritime Organization can primarily serve as an intermediary and coordination platform, providing technical and organizational support for evacuation.

"IMO is an advisory and advisory organization that does not have the power structures to enforce its decisions," Ekaterina Yumasheva told Izvestia.

Iran for the first time received revenue for the passage of ships

Security guarantees remain a key condition for the implementation of the initiative: before the evacuation begins, the parties to the conflict must agree on a complete cessation of attacks on naval facilities, the exclusion of military presence on routes and the provision of "clean corridors" for the civilian fleet. In fact, we are talking about a temporary de-escalation in this maritime zone.

On the night of April 22, Donald Trump announced the extension of the ceasefire until the Iranian side submits proposals and the negotiation process yields concrete results. According to Axios sources, Iran has actually been given a limited "window" — from three to five days, during which it must work out its position.

Despite diplomatic efforts, the situation remains unstable. In recent days, cases of attacks on tankers and container ships have been recorded while trying to leave the bay on their own.

So, on April 19, the US military seized the Iranian ship MV Touska, which, according to them, was trying to break through the established naval blockade. In Iran, these actions were called an act of piracy and a violation of the truce.

In turn, the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the detention of two commercial vessels, the MSC Francesca and Epaminondas, while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without permission. At the same time, Tehran began to implement a new economic pressure measure: for the first time, the authorities announced the receipt of revenue from fees for the passage of ships through the strait.

According to Mikhail Khachaturian, there are two possible settlement options: either direct payments from shipowners in favor of the Iranian side using alternative instruments — cryptocurrencies, yuan or other forms of settlements, or the creation of a special fund with the participation of IMO, which would accumulate funds and make payments in a form agreed with Iran.

At the same time, such steps on the part of Iran contradict the provisions of international maritime law. The Strait of Hormuz has the status of an international waterway, where the regime of freedom of transit passage of vessels operates. In accordance with the current regulations, the collection of fees is allowed only for the services actually provided and cannot be established as a prerequisite for passage through the strait.

In both cases, temporary safe passage windows formed by the Iranian side and accompanied by pilotage operations become a key element. The expert emphasizes that such a model is unprecedented for IMO practice and international shipping, however, the scale and uniqueness of the crisis in the Persian Gulf actually pushes the parties to use non-standard solutions.