According to the head of the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO), the blockade of ships in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the conflict between the United States and Iran has demonstrated that vessels and seafarers are being turned into “tools in geopolitical disputes.”
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Since the conflict began on February 28, up to 20,000 seafarers have been stranded on approximately 2,000 ships in the Gulf bordering Iran to the north, unable to safely pass through the narrow waterway.
