Plan set to start evacuating more than 11,000 seafarers from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, maritime organization says

A large-scale evacuation plan for ships stranded in the Persian Gulf is set to begin with the removal of more than 11,000 seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a maritime organization statement carried by CNBC on June 23, 2026. The plan is intended to address the growing number of crew members unable to disembark normally amid disruption in the region’s shipping lanes.

The maritime organization said the evacuation would be carried out in stages as ships and crews become eligible to depart. Under the approach described, seafarers will begin exiting through the Strait of Hormuz rather than returning via alternative routes, reflecting the geographic choke point connecting the Persian Gulf to the wider waters where most international sea transport is routed.

CNBC reported that the effort is backed by both Iran and the United States. In practical terms, such support indicates coordination between regional authorities controlling passage near the strait and U.S.-linked security and maritime frameworks that help shape compliance and deconfliction for international shipping moving in the area.

The statement comes as thousands of merchant mariners remain on vessels waiting to transit or disembark. The maritime organization’s figure of more than 11,000 seafarers highlights the scale of the humanitarian and labor-safety challenge, including the strain on family life and the difficulty of maintaining crew readiness and welfare when ships cannot rotate personnel through normal port calls.

The evacuation plan’s next steps, as outlined in the June 23 reporting, focus on beginning departures for those stranded, with the Strait of Hormuz identified as the main exit route. Details such as the exact departure scheduling, which ports may be used for disembarkation, and how crews will be processed after exiting were not specified in the CNBC summary.

Maritime evacuations in contested or high-risk zones typically require documentation checks, port-clearance coordination, and a security deconfliction mechanism to prevent delays or safety incidents during transit. Observers will be watching for how quickly ships can move once they are cleared for departure and whether the staging timeline can keep pace with the number of seafarers affected.

For shipping companies and insurers, a systematic evacuation plan can reduce uncertainty and downstream costs tied to idle vessels and prolonged crew retention. For the seafarers themselves, the plan represents an immediate shift from waiting toward coordinated movement, with the first phase scheduled to begin on or around the time of the June 23 announcement.