The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has begun evacuating hundreds of ships stranded in the Gulf after the US-Iran ceasefire, reported Canada's InvestingLive.

The IMO confirmed it had started contacting individual vessels to arrange passage for ships carrying about 11,000 seafarers. The agency said safety guarantees had been secured and navigation conditions verified, though no timeline was given for completion.

IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the operation would be conducted with Iran, Oman, the United States and the maritime industry. The joint involvement of Tehran and Washington was described as a significant signal of confidence in the peace process.

Oman's defence ministry issued a separate advisory stressing the evacuation would be phased and controlled due to collision risks. It warned the standard Traffic Separation Scheme adopted in 1968 was unsafe, with two temporary routes north and south of the lanes designated instead.

Ships will be contacted individually and assigned specific transit days, limiting throughput and preventing independent navigation. Floating mines remain a major hazard in waters around Hormuz, reinforcing the need for controlled convoys.

The evacuation marks the first organised movement of commercial shipping through the strait since the conflict began. Oil traders, tanker operators and insurers are expected to closely monitor the phased operation as an indicator of when normal traffic might resume.

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