The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, announced the launch of a large-scale operation to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf region following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of commercial shipping.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the operation would be carried out in coordination with Iran, Oman, other coastal states, the United States, and the maritime transport sector.

The organization confirmed that the necessary security guarantees had been secured and that safe navigation conditions had been verified to ensure the safe departure of ships and crews from the region.