LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will begin an “extraordinary session” on Wednesday to discuss shipping amid the Middle East war, as fears grow over the fate of thousands of stranded ships and seafarers.

The London-based United Nations agency — responsible for regulating international shipping safety — is set to consider adopting possible resolutions during the two-day gathering at its London headquarters.

The IMO’s 40-member council could vote Thursday on several proposed resolutions, including one to “establish a safe maritime corridor to allow the safe evacuation of seafarers and ships stranded in the Persian Gulf”.

However, if passed, resolutions remain non-binding.

The meeting — open to all 176 member states as well as dozens of non-government organizations and maritime industry bodies — comes as Iran’s retaliation to Israeli-United States strikes cripples commercial shipping in or near the Strait of Hormuz.

An effective Iranian blockade of the key maritime chokepoint — through which a fifth of global crude and liquified natural gas normally transits — has dramatically spiked oil prices and spooked markets.

It has also left around 20,000 seafarers stranded on approximately 3,200 vessels west of the strait, according to the IMO.

At least 21 ships have been hit, targeted or reported attacks since the start of the conflict, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on data from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the IMO and Iraqi and Iranian authorities.

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) submission to the IMO ahead of the upcoming meeting noted “more than 18 merchant ships of various nationalities have been hit by projectiles, missiles, drone boats and sea mines.” 

“At least eight seafarers are confirmed dead with four still missing,” the document submitted Monday added.

‘Unjustifiable’ attacks

Britain, France, Germany and a host of other countries including Gulf states have urged the IMO’s council to adopt a declaration to “strongly condemn the egregious attacks” by Iran on its neighbors.

Noting Iran had “threatened and attacked commercial vessels and seafarers, as well as civilian maritime infrastructure,” it said the attacks were “unjustifiable and must cease.”

They also urged similar condemnation of the “purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz” by Tehran.

In its submission Iran, which is an IMO member but does not sit on its council, blamed the “current deterioration of the maritime security environment” on the attacks by Israel and the US. 

“The adverse maritime repercussions currently affecting shipping and seafarers are a direct and inevitable consequence of these unlawful actions and cannot be viewed in isolation from their underlying cause,” it stated.

Separately, Japan, Panama, Singapore and the UAE urged the IMO to help “establish a framework to allow the safe evacuation of seafarers and ships stranded in the Gulf.”