Vessels have started transiting the Strait of Hormuz under a newly implemented evacuation scheme coordinated by the United Nations’ shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
A spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the initiative is operational, allowing ships previously trapped by the ongoing conflict to leave the corridor.
The move represents the first tangible progress in efforts to clear the chokepoint, which has seen hundreds of ships and approximately 11,000 seafarers stranded since tensions escalated.
The evacuation protocol aims to reduce the immediate humanitarian and logistical pressure on the world’s most critical oil transit route.
Market participants are closely monitoring the development for signs of broader normalization in tanker traffic.
The prospect of cleared routes has already begun to influence energy pricing, with Brent crude sliding to four-month lows as traders reassess the severity of supply disruption risks.