Strait of Hormuz transit should halt, IMO chief says

International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez urged ships to avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz while crew safety cannot be assured, saying nearly 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf amid fresh US-Iran attacks.

Dominguez, secretary general of the UN maritime agency, called for "maximum restraint and de-escalation" and for ships blocked in the Gulf to be able to leave safely.

"As long as the safety and security of crews cannot be assured, I urge flag States, shipowners, operators and all relevant authorities to avoid exposing seafarers to unnecessary danger by transiting the Strait," he said.

US President Donald Trump said earlier Wednesday that the US-Iran ceasefire was over, while leaving the door open to more talks. AFP reported that Iranian attacks on ships in the strait had sparked fighting and that Tehran's military had struck at least three ships in recent days, prompting US strikes on Iranian targets Tuesday and retaliatory attacks by Iran on Gulf countries.

The IMO began an initiative after a June 17 preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran to evacuate more than 11,000 seafarers stuck in the Gulf on around 600 ships. The effort was suspended after several days following an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

The IMO's member states also adopted a resolution calling for international waterways to remain open to transport. Tehran says it controls the Strait of Hormuz, will charge fees for passage and may hit vessels that leave its authorised route. The United States has called for a return to free passage through the strait.