UN urges safe evacuation of 6,000 seafarers trapped in Strait of Hormuz
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called for the evacuation of around 6,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, AzerNEWS reports.
Türk urged all parties to the conflict to assist in the safe repatriation of the stranded sailors.
His message was delivered to journalists in Geneva by UN human rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo.
"The parties to the conflict should urgently work to facilitate the safe evacuation and disembarkation of stranded seafarers, while also ensuring the delivery of critical supplies," Mantoo said on Türk's behalf.
At least 6,000 seafarers aboard some 400 vessels remain stranded in the Strait after being unable to evacuate during the ceasefire.
The latest escalation in US-Iran tensions began on July 8, when the US military launched a series of strikes on targets inside Iran, claiming they were in response to an attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes marked the first such action since the signing of a memorandum between Washington and Tehran. On the same day, US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of the ceasefire with Iran.
In response, Tehran launched attacks on US facilities located in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, further intensifying the regional conflict.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
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