International Maritime Organisation (IMO) secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez condemned the recent attacks and seizures of commercial ships in the Middle East, saying they were “unacceptable” and calling again for “these reckless actions to cease” and for “any ships and innocent seafarers to be released immediately”.

In a statement, Dominguez said the situation in the region “remains extremely volatile” and added that he could not understand “why companies would take risks and endanger seafarers’ lives”. 

He also said he had spoken earlier in the day to a seafarer who had been stranded in the Persian Gulf. 

The seafarer, he said, described “the constant stress of missiles overhead, the danger of falling debris striking the ship, the need to ration supplies, and the difficulty of keeping his family informed about his situation”. 

Although that seafarer was able to leave, Dominguez said nearly 20,000 others remain stranded after more than seven weeks, still uncertain when they will be able to return home, adding that “there is much more work to be done”. 

“De-escalation, meaningful actions and restoring the freedom of navigation is the only way forward,” he concluded.