A huge backlog of oil tankers that got stuck inside the Persian Gulf because of the Iran war has almost cleared out — just in time for a fresh military flare up to create renewed uncertainty about how safe the region is for ships.
Author of the article:
Weilun Soon and Grant Smith
Published Jul 09, 2026
Gem No. 2 (in white) is the only tanker left trapped in the Persian Gulf with its original cargo. Stallion (blue) also remains stranded. Mercury Hope (red) has exited on Wednesday. via Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) — A huge backlog of oil tankers that got stuck inside the Persian Gulf because of the Iran war has almost cleared out — just in time for a fresh military flare up to
The United Nations’ maritime agency said on Friday that it had successfully evacuated about 2,500 stranded seafarers from the Persian Gulf before suspending the operation, after an attack on a commercial vessel exposed uncertainty over who can guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said that 115 ships carrying roughly 2,500 crew members had left the Gulf during the first three and a half days of the operation. The figures offered the first concrete measure of an evacuation launched this week to rescue some 11,000 mariners stranded aboard 600 vessels since the war pitting Israel and the United States against Iran erupted in late February.
The shortage of STCW-certified officers has increased over the past five years, as has the surplus of STCW-certified ratings, according to a new report from Bimco and ICS.
The Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 estimates that a supply of 1,048,980 officers in 2026 represents a shortage of 39,100 compared to demand, while the current workforce of 1,516,600 ratings is a surplus of 56,890.
The latest instalment of the five-yearly report showed the shortage of officers has continued to grow since 2015 when it stood at 16,500 officers and 2021 when it was 26,240. The
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Friday that safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz could not be guaranteed through "ambiguous arrangements," parallel shipping routes or decisions made without regard to Iran as a littoral state.
"Safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed through ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making outside Iran's considerations as a coastal state," Gharibabadi wrote on X.
He said any "credible framework" for navigation must be based on coordination with Iran and on Article Five of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
"Otherwise, the designated parallel route will be suspended," he said.
