Hormuz evacuation begins but Iran insists on approved routes

• US says traffic back to ‘normal’
• Iran says it will decide routes
• Helping stranded seafarers a priority

Ships have begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz under a United Nations-backed evacuation plan to clear hundreds of vessels and more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has insisted vessels use only routes designated by the republic.

US energy secretary Chris Wright said late on Wednesday that 72 ships had transited the strait over the previous 24 hours, carrying about 20 million barrels of crude.

In a post on X, he said oil flows through the chokepoint had returned to “normal”. Before the Iran conflict, the strait typically handled about 130 vessel transits a day, suggesting shipping traffic still has some way to go before returning to pre-war levels.

The UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) said it would publish its own traffic figures as the evacuation progresses.

It said safety guarantees had been secured to begin the operation, which is being carried out in “close cooperation with Iran, Oman, all other coastal states in the region, the US and the maritime industry”.

The IRGC Navy, in a statement carried by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, said: “Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz is only possible via routes announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The IRGC said it will take action against vessels that fail to comply with the requirements.

The UN-led evacuation follows more than three months of disruption that left hundreds of merchant vessels unable to leave the Gulf after conflict closed the strait. Before the war, the strait carried about a fifth of global oil consumption.

Last week’s US-Iran memorandum of understanding paved the way for a phased reopening of the waterway.

The IMO said about 11,000 seafarers remain aboard vessels after spending months stranded in Gulf summer conditions during a conflict in which multiple commercial ships came under attack and 14 seafarers were killed.

It said ship operators must register with the IMO before being assigned individual transit windows through temporary navigation corridors, using either a southern route through Omani territorial waters or a northern passageway near Iran’s Larak Island.

The Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), the strait’s main shipping corridor, remains unsafe after explosive devices were laid across the route during the conflict. Industry officials said last week that about 80 mines were still believed to be in the TSS, with clearance operations continuing.

Departures are being coordinated to minimise congestion and navigational risks while authorities work to restore the TSS.

However, questions remain over how commercial traffic will operate once the emergency operation is complete.

• Oman sets up temporary maritime corridor for Hormuz transit
• Fujairah emerges as strategic winner from Hormuz closure
• Iran war threatens retention of skilled seafarers

Documents reported by maritime outlet Lloyd’s List indicate Iran plans to require vessels using the strait to obtain insurance from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

The cover would be provided free during the first 60 days of the agreement, after which fees could be introduced.

This week’s escort operation places the IMO at the centre of efforts to restore commercial shipping through the strait, with the UN agency coordinating vessel movements.

“This evacuation plan reflects unprecedented cooperation between governments, industry and international organisations to protect lives while restoring confidence in maritime navigation,” IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said.

“I want to pay tribute to the 14 innocent seafarers who tragically lost their lives during this conflict. Their dedication in service of global trade will not be forgotten.”