Approximately 20k sailors are stranded in the Persian Gulf, and the Iranian military has announced that it has once again regained control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Maritime News from Mars Finance reports that on April 18, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Dominguez, said on the 17th that about 20,000 seafarers and nearly 2,000 ships are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. He called on countries to step up diplomatic efforts and support the International Maritime Organization’s plan to evacuate stranded seafarers in the Gulf region.

Dominguez urged countries, at an appropriate time, to help clear all kinds of dangerous hazards—such as mines—in the Strait of Hormuz that threaten the passage of commercial vessels, and to provide practical protection for the shipping industry, including obtaining insurance at reasonable costs, so that normal operations can be restored as soon as possible.

Earlier, Iranian media reported on the 18th that an Iranian military spokesperson said that, because of the United States’ “repeated breaches of commitments,” control of the Strait of Hormuz has been restored to its previous state. The strait is currently under strict management and control by Iran’s armed forces.