UN Maritime Boss Warns Ships To Avoid Hormuz As Transits Continue

The International Maritime Organization warned Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz remains too dangerous for commercial shipping, even as vessels continue to transit the narrow waterway.

US Central Command said its latest round of strikes against Iranian coastal military targets concluded early Wednesday. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against US-allied Gulf states while continuing to disrupt some maritime traffic through the strait.

Yet commercial ships are still transiting, suggesting Iran's ability to fully weaponize the maritime chokepoint is gradually eroding under sustained US air and naval superiority.

Speaking on Bloomberg Radio, Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary general of the IMO, said the waterway remains dangerous and unsafe for tankers and bulk cargo ships.

"I will maintain the message of upholding international law, for countries to do the same thing, and for companies — at this stage, particularly with the volatility — not to take risk to transit through the strait of Hormuz," Dominguez said.

Dominguez's warning appears to be ignored by some ships.

Strait of Hormuz risks deepen despite slight rise in crossings

Vessel activity through the Strait of Hormuz increased slightly on 14 July, with 21 confirmed crossings recorded, according to #MarineTraffic data. Commercial traffic accounted for most movements, including vessels… pic.twitter.com/oIkrtu2kGl

— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) July 15, 2026

Bloomberg data show that vessel traffic continues in the narrow waterway, at lower volumes than last week, even as fighting between the US and Iran intensified overnight.

With or without Tehran's cooperation, US-allied Gulf countries are in the beginning innings of what we've described as a "great energy rewiring"...

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We compiled evidence for readers showing that US-allied Gulf countries are poised to undertake a generational rewiring of regional energy flows to bypass the Hormuz chokepoint. Over time, that infrastructure buildout - from pipelines to ports - could render Tehran's leverage over the critical waterway increasingly irrelevant.