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International Maritime Organization secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez issued an urgent statement on April 22 calling for an immediate halt to assaults against commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf
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Nearly 20,000 seafarers, offshore crew and port workers remain affected in the region after more than seven weeks since the US-Israel attack on Iran, uncertain when they can return home
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Dominguez spoke directly with a stranded seafarer who described missiles overhead, falling debris, rationed supplies, and difficulty contacting family
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Iran’s armed force unit IRGC seized or attacked at least three vessels in the Strait of Hormuz: the Epaminondas, the Euphoria, and the MSC-Francesca
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IRGC claimed the vessels were seized for operating without permits and tampering with navigation systems
International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez issued an urgent statement on April 22, 2026 calling for an immediate halt to assaults against commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf.
“The attacks on and seizures of commercial ships are unacceptable. I once again call for these reckless actions to cease and for any ships and innocent seafarers to be released immediately,” Dominguez said.
Dominguez, who said he spoke directly with one stranded seafarer, painted a stark picture of conditions in the region.
“Today I spoke to a seafarer who was stranded in the Persian Gulf. He 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,” the IMO chief said.
That seafarer has since been able to leave, but the broader crisis shows no sign of resolution. “Nearly 20,000 others remain, after more than seven weeks, still uncertain when they will be able to return home,” Dominguez said. “De-escalation, meaningful actions and restoring the freedom of navigation is the only way forward.”
READ: IMO chief alarmed over Hormuz attacks as oil route risks escalate
The latest statement came as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted at least three vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
IMO estimates that nearly 20,000 seafarers, offshore crew and port workers are affected in one of the globe’s most critical waterways.
The first, a Greek-owned cargo ship identified as the Epaminondas, was approached by an IRGC gunboat after reportedly being cleared for transit and sustained significant damage to its bridge, according to BBC.
A second vessel, the Euphoria, owned by a UAE-based company, was stopped after being fired upon. The third, the Panama-flagged MSC-Francesca, was targeted approximately six nautical miles off Iran’s coast while heading south out of the strait into the Gulf of Oman, sustaining damage to its hull and crew accommodation.
IRGC-affiliated outlet Fars News Agency confirmed the Revolutionary Guard was behind the attacks.
The IRGC said the Epaminondas and MSC-Francesca had been seized for operating without required permits and tampering with navigation systems, and announced their cargo and documents would be examined.
Greece’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis disputed the account, telling CNN: “I can confirm that there was an attack against the Greek cargo ship, but I cannot confirm that this has been seized by the Iranians.”
UK Maritime Trade Operations and maritime intelligence firm Vanguard both reported that the Epaminondas master had been told the vessel had clearance to transit the strait before the IRGC gunboat intervened.
The targeted ships appear to have been part of a larger MSC convoy that had been in the Persian Gulf since before the conflict began. Four other vessels in the convoy subsequently transited the strait after switching off their AIS transponders, according to maritime data provider Linerlytica.
The attacks unfolded on the day the initial US-Iran ceasefire was set to expire. US President Donald Trump had extended the truce while negotiations between the two nations continue.— Michael Barcas
