The International Maritime Organization convened a special meeting to discuss the situation in the Gulf.

March 19, 2026

Xinhua

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The 36th extraordinary session of the IMO Council was held at its headquarters in London on 18 March, focusing on tensions in the Gulf region, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. Secretary-General Dominguez disclosed at the meeting that the recent merchant ship attacks in the region have killed at least seven seafarers and seriously injured many others. About 20,000 seafarers are still trapped on ships in the Persian Gulf, under great security risks and mental stress. Dominguez stressed that innocent seafarers and civilian ships must not become victims of a wider geopolitical conflict, and urgently called on all parties to work together to de-escalate the conflict and ensure that affected seafarers can be safely evacuated with the ship. He further warned that the current situation is unsustainable, geopolitical tensions are pushing the global shipping industry to its limits, and its negative impact will spread from the global economy to food security and other fields, causing widespr

　　Xinhua News Agency, London, March 18 (Reporter Gao Wencheng) The 36th Extraordinary Session of the International Maritime Organization Council was held on the 18th at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization in London, UK, to discuss the situation in the Gulf region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz. International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Dominguez urged all parties to work together to promote conflict de-escalation and allow affected seafarers to safely leave the Gulf region with their ships.

　　Dominguez said that at least seven seafarers have died in recent merchant ship attacks in the Strait of Hormuz area, and several others have been seriously injured. Currently, about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded on ships in the Persian Gulf, facing high risks and immense mental stress. Innocent seafarers or civilian vessels "must never become victims of broader geopolitical tensions."

　　He said the current situation is unacceptable, and the current state of affairs is unsustainable. Geopolitics is pushing the shipping industry to its limits, and the entire world will be negatively affected, with impacts ranging from the global economy to food security.

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