Amid continued conflict in the Middle East the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has said that vessels should not seek to transit the vital  Strait of Hormuz.

Arsenio Dominguez (above) made his comments after news arrived that a LNG carrier has been the fourth vessel to transit the route in recent weeks despite the warnings from Iran that any attempts to transit the route would be met with armed action.

The USA and Irean have traded attacks following the downing of a US helicopter by Iranian forces close to the straight.

However, there is growing evidence that vessels are making their way through the Strait.

Experts say hundreds of commercial ships have crossed out of the Strait of Hormuz, often by taking “dark” journeys through Iran’s “tollbooth route” or with the guidance of the United States.

The numbers are still far below typical pre-war traffic levels, when up to 140 commercial vessels crossed the strait each day, but all prominent marine intelligence organisations are reporting a level of activity.

Dominguez said: “I am increasingly concerned by reports that vessels continue to attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz without any credible security guarantees, despite well‑established risks and the fact that seafarers have already been killed, injured and others detained in recent incidents.

“My primary concern is for the safety and lives of the seafarers being placed in these situations. They must not be exposed to conditions where the risks are known, significant, and clearly beyond mitigation. The current situation remains highly volatile, with no reliable security assurances in place. Under such circumstances, safe passage cannot be considered to exist.”

He added: “I recall in the strongest possible terms that the ship’s master, and the company, bear the ultimate responsibility for voyage planning and for conducting thorough and realistic risk assessments, in accordance with their obligations under established safety and security management frameworks. These responsibilities are fundamental and must be exercised with the utmost rigour.

“No commercial or operational consideration can justify exposing seafarers to such levels of danger. The protection of their lives must remain the overriding priority at all times.

“I urge all stakeholders to act with the highest level of responsibility and reiterate my call on all parties to refrain from any actions that place innocent civilian seafarers at risk.”

The IMO added: “The ongoing instability in the Middle East creates a rapidly evolving situation for global shipping. IMO is closely monitoring developments to protect more than 20,000 seafarers in the region, including those stranded on vessels unable to exit the Strait of Hormuz.

IMO is committed to safe passage and welfare of maritime workers. The IMO Council has called for a halt to attacks on ships and urged Member States to ensure the continuous provision of water, food, fuel and other essentials to stranded ships.”