World News
IMO Secretary-General: 20,000 Seafarers Stranded in Persian Gulf
The chief of the IMO said around 20,000 seafarers remain stranded aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf as security risks escalate following recent attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
At least seven seafarers have been killed and several injured in incidents targeting commercial shipping in the region, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General at IMO, said in his opening remarks at its 36th extraordinary session of the council on Wednesday.
The IMO is holding a two-day meeting this week to address the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
Dominguez warned that crews stuck on ships face a high risk and significant mental stress while continuing to operate under challenging conditions.
“I continue to monitor the situation closely, and I reiterate my call for all shipping companies to exercise the utmost caution when operating in the affected region, and to the extent possible, to avoid passing through it, he said.
“I will never get tired of repeating myself when I say that any attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is totally unacceptable.”
He also cautioned that continued disruption could have wider implications for global trade, food security, and freedom of navigation.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) also strongly condemned the attacks during the session.
“The longer this crisis endures, the greater the strain that these crews will be placed under, as stores begin to deplete, and bunkers reduce,” Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary General at ICS, said in an email statement on Wednesday.
He added that, despite industry support efforts, member states need to coordinate to ensure timely resupply and safe crew changes to keep vessels operating safely.
Key Bunker Prices More
| VLSFO | MGO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $/mt | +/- | $/mt | +/- | |
| Singapore | 1004.50 | 72.00 | 1777.00 | 30.00 |
| Rotterdam | 784.00 | 20.00 | 1193.00 | 14.00 |
| Houston | 806.50 | 28.50 | 1240.50 | 28.50 |
| Fujairah | 1032.00 | 28.50 | 1642.50 | 9.00 |
| Global 20 Ports Average | 1014.00 | 3.00 | 1510.00 | 16.50 |
| Global 4 Ports Average | 907.00 | 12.50 | 1463.50 | 1.00 |
| Global Average Bunker Price | 1012.00 | 3.00 | 1464.50 | 19.00 |
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