IMO chief warns warship escorts won’t fully secure Strait of Hormuz

2026-03-17 - 09:15

The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has warned that providing warship escorts for commercial vessels would not “100 percent guarantee” safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. In comments reported by the Financial Times, Dominguez described military assistance as “not a long-term or sustainable solution” to reopening the strait, emphasizing that shipping is being affected by conflicts unrelated to maritime trade. “We are merely collateral damage in a conflict whose root causes have nothing to do with maritime shipping,” he said. Dominguez also highlighted concerns over the depletion of food and supplies for crews of ships stranded in the Gulf, urging shipping companies not to sail until safety can be ensured, reports Al-Rai daily. The IMO Council will hold an extraordinary session on Wednesday and Thursday at its London headquarters to discuss the impact of the Middle East conflict on shipping and seafarers.