IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has warned that the Strait of Hormuz remains unsafe for commercial shipping, despite claims from U.S. officials that vessel traffic through the strategic waterway is recovering.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Dominguez said there are no credible security guarantees in place that would justify exposing seafarers to the risks linked to Hormuz transits. He said vessels continue to attempt passages despite established dangers and recent incidents in which seafarers have been killed, injured, or detained.
“The current situation remains highly volatile, with no reliable security assurances in place. Under such circumstances, safe passage cannot be considered to exist,” Dominguez said.
The warning contrasts with comments from U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who said at an Atlantic Council event in Washington that ship traffic and oil exports through the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz are increasing. Wright said activity was rising “very meaningfully,” while noting that energy flows may take months to fully normalize after a lasting peace agreement.
The differing assessments underline the gap between limited signs of traffic recovery and continued security concerns for commercial operators. Some vessels have resumed Hormuz transits since the 8 April ceasefire between the United States and Iran, but many are still operating with AIS transponders turned off and moving at night to reduce exposure.
According to the source, U.S. Central Command has counted nearly 1,000 commercial vessel transits in and out of the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire began. That figure is higher than estimates based on commercial ship-tracking data, with U.S. officials attributing the difference to more “dark” transits outside conventional AIS monitoring.
However, traffic remains below pre-war levels. The latest Joint Maritime Information Center assessment continues to classify the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz maritime security environment as “CRITICAL.” It said commercial traffic remains limited, routing uncertainty persists, and navigation has become more complicated due to security measures and operational disruption.
JMIC also said vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz fell 44.4% in the latest reporting week compared with the previous week.
Dominguez said voyage planning responsibility ultimately rests with shipowners and masters, urging operators to carry out realistic risk assessments before entering the region. He added that no commercial or operational factor can justify exposing seafarers to such danger, and that protecting lives must remain the overriding priority.
