The IMO council could vote on several proposed resolutions

UN body proposes safe corridor for Middle East shipping

18 Mar 2026, 05:32 · RTE.ie

A proposal from the UN's shipping agency today has called for a safe maritime corridor to free some 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf by war in Iran.

The proposal submitted by Bahrain, Japan, Panama, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates and backed on today by the United States called for "a framework such as a safe maritime corridor".

It was submitted at a meeting of the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) governing council in London.

The IMO's 40-member council could vote tomorrow on several proposed resolutions, however, if passed, resolutions remain non-binding.

The meeting - open to all 176 member states as well as dozens of NGOs and maritime industry bodies - comes as Iran's retaliation to Israeli-US strikes cripples commercial shipping in or near the Strait of Hormuz.

Hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait.

"The purpose of this framework would be to facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships," it said. "This measure aims to protect the lives of seafarers."

At least seven merchant sailors have been killed due to the conflict, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told delegates.

"They must not become victims of broader geopolitical tensions," he said, calling for de-escalation to allow the seafarers to leave the Gulf safely.

NATO countries are also looking at what can be done, Secretary General Mark Rutte said today

US President Donald Trump has asked nations to help police the strait to allow oil tankers and other vessels to pass in and out. The strait normally transports a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

'Unjustifiable' attacks

Gulf states hit out at Iran in their opening statements.

"The United Arab Emirates expresses its rejection and condemnation in the strongest terms of... Iran's unprovoked, unjustifiable, indiscriminate and wholly unlawful attacks," the country's IMO delegate said.

He said they "constitute a serious breach of our sovereignty, territorial integrity" and were "a flagrant violation of fundamental rules and principles of international law".

The effective Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of global crude and liquified natural gas normally transits - has dramatically spiked oil prices and spooked markets.

At least 21 ships have been hit, targeted or reported attacks since the start of the conflict, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a naval monitor.

Britain, France, Germany and a host of other countries including Gulf states have urged the IMO's council to adopt a declaration to "strongly condemn the egregious attacks" by Iran on its neighbours.

Noting Iran had "threatened and attacked commercial vessels and seafarers, as well as civilian maritime infrastructure", their proposal said the attacks were "unjustifiable and must cease".

They also urged similar condemnation of the "purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz" by Tehran.

'Safe evacuation'

In its submission Iran, which is an IMO member but does not sit on its council, blamed the "current deterioration of the maritime security environment" on the attacks by Israel and the US.

"The adverse maritime repercussions currently affecting shipping and seafarers are a direct and inevitable consequence of these unlawful actions and cannot be viewed in isolation from their underlying cause," it stated.

Separately, Japan, Panama, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates have urged the IMO to help "establish a framework to allow the safe evacuation of seafarers and ships stranded in the Gulf".

It would "facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships from the high-risk and affected areas to a safe place ... avoiding military attacks and protecting and securing the maritime domain".

Meanwhile, maritime industry bodies have tabled a demand for a "coordinated international approach to security" while urging that "seafarer welfare must be taken into account".

They want measures to ensure their "communications with home can be maintained, crew changes and disembarkation can be facilitated, and the stores and provisions are adequate for the needs of seafarers".

The IMO Council session continues tomorrow.