London, United Kingdom. Ships have begun sailing through the Strait of Hormuz under a new evacuation scheme organized by the International Maritime Organization for vessels stranded by the conflict, an IMO spokesperson said on Wednesday. The initiative is intended to help hundreds of ships and about 11,000 seafarers leave the Gulf.
Transits begin under new plan
The IMO said on Tuesday that the scheme, which took months to finalize, would allow hundreds of stranded ships to sail through Hormuz. An IMO spokesperson said on Wednesday that ships had already started passing under the plan, but did not provide details of the vessels involved.
LSEG ship tracking data showed on Wednesday that at least two dry bulk ships and one cargo ship had sailed through Hormuz under the scheme in the previous 12 hours.
Tankers also leaving the strait
Shipping data showed that three stranded tankers carrying 5 million barrels of crude oil were also exiting the Strait of Hormuz, with two heading to Asia. It was not clear whether those vessels were sailing under the IMO scheme.
Temporary routes and waiting instructions
According to LSEG and MarineTraffic ship tracking data based on Reuters analysis of ship movements, at least 35 smaller ships, mainly dry bulk, cargo and container vessels, as well as five oil tankers and tugs, were preparing to sail through the strait.
The IMO said the scheme was able to begin after the United States and Iran reached a ceasefire framework. Under the plan, vessels will be able to use two temporary tracks to sail out: a northern route via Iranian waters and a southern route via “the Sultanate of Oman/United States-coordinated waters”.
In a note on the scheme issued on Wednesday, the IMO said vessels should wait for instructions before proceeding.
“Crowding the waiting area will only result in the need to pause further notifications for the safety of navigation,” the IMO said.
