11,000 Crews Trapped in Strait of Hormuz as Iran and US Give Conflicting Evacuation Orders
Shots have been exchanged in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving 11,000 crew members trapped on ships caught between conflicting safety instructions from Iran and the United States.
GENEVA — A diplomatic and logistical standoff is unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz, where approximately 11,000 crew members remain trapped on ships after shots were exchanged in the waterway. Iran is telling the crews to leave but insists they must evacuate via its own territory, specifically through Larak Island in the northern part of the strait. The United States has issued different safety instructions, leaving the crews stuck between two warring sides that are currently negotiating [183526].
The crisis comes as Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil passes, citing Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon as the reason [178534][178594][178201]. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned ships to avoid the strait, accusing Israel of crimes in Lebanon and the United States of violating commitments to establish a ceasefire there [178201]. The United States disputed the closure claim, saying 55 merchant ships transited on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil [178594].
US and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday to finalize details of an interim agreement aimed at ending the Iran war and securing a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Hezbollah [178594][178553]. The talks focus on Iran’s nuclear program and the Lebanon conflict, with Iran now saying the fighting in Lebanon will be the “main topic” of the discussions [178553][178594].
An Iranian negotiator announced that Tehran and Washington have finalized a draft agreement for temporary relief from oil sanctions, but stressed that the broader provisions “will not enter into force” without a final end to the war in Lebanon [178573]. The United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on June 22 to end the war in Lebanon and lift sanctions on Iranian oil, but major questions about control and implementation of the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved [179607].
The interim deal, signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, aims to stop fighting on all fronts and gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, with the possibility of extension [178594][178444]. However, the talks got off to a rocky start when Iran’s delegation walked out in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to strike Iran over its support for Hezbollah [178909]. Despite the tension, Iran announced “major progress” in the negotiations [178930].
Iran has also agreed to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country as part of the broader agreement. Long-term independent monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program was effectively halted last summer after attacks by Israel and the US. Tehran stopped cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency in response to strikes on its nuclear facilities [179124].