More than 11,000 seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf are set to begin exiting through the Strait of Hormuz under a large-scale evacuation plan backed by both Iran and the United States, the International Maritime Organization said Tuesday.
The coordinated effort marks a significant shift in the operational posture of the region, moving from containment to active resolution of the humanitarian and logistical crisis that has gripped maritime traffic for weeks.
The announcement comes as the U.S. has also announced it will begin providing naval escorts for commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Bloomberg report.
This dual approach—evacuation of stranded crews and protection of ongoing commercial transit—suggests a temporary stabilization of the security environment, even as underlying geopolitical tensions remain unresolved.
For markets, the news provides a counterweight to the persistent shipping risk premium that has weighed on energy and freight prices.
While the evacuation itself does not guarantee a return to normalcy, it indicates that diplomatic channels are functioning and that both major powers are committed to keeping the chokepoint open.