The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has announced a plan to evacuate 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the London-based organisation said the operation would involve a large-scale evacuation effort to be carried out in cooperation with the countries concerned.

"It would be conducted in co-ordination with Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, all countries in the region, the US and stakeholders from the maritime industry," remarked IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.

Dominguez said necessary safety guarantees had been secured and that navigational conditions had been fully verified to support the safe implementation of the operation.

The evacuation of the stranded sailors hinges on the Strait remaining open.

Dominguez said the deal to help them marked "a decisive step towards restoring maritime security and bringing to an end the unacceptable attacks against civilian shipping."

"After months of hardship and distress for thousands of innocent seafarers, and negative impact on the whole world, I welcome with deep satisfaction the peace agreement concluded between the US and Iran," he said.

As part of the IMO's evacuation plan, two temporary routes through the strait could be used, with vessels being contacted individually for further instructions, according to Oman's notice to mariners provided by the IMO.

The IMO said it would issue a daily report on the number of ships leaving the region safely.-TradeArabia News Service