Mister secretary, thank you so much for being back with us. I know last time we

spoke, that number of stranded seafarers was was higher, I think. Has it come down at

all? Is 20,000 about right, and how are these individuals doing?

No. 20,000 is about right. And, of course, there's been very little movement, around the Strait

Of Hormuz. So we're still very concerned with the health and the well-being of these seafighters.

The longer that this conflict continues, the more that the stress and fatigue starts to kick

in. Also, the supplies on the ships, and this is one of the areas where they're

really working with the littoral states in the Persian Gulf in order to at least with

all the challenges that exist right now, to provide those essential goods that the seafarers and

the ships need in order to stay safe.

Can I ask a really dumb question? Why can't they just go into ports? Why can't

they find safe harbors to go into? Why do they have to stay on the water?

Is it a permitting issue? Is it a size issue? Why can't they come in?

We're talking about nearly or around 2,000 vessels. And, of course, that there's not enough capacity

for all these vessels in the ports in the area as well as the fact that

even some of those ports facilities may be targeted as well. And the reality is that

there will not be space for all those ships to dock at the same time. There's

also another possibility to carry out crew changes right now, a very limited one, particularly because

there are all the disruptions, air transportation. Plus, it will be very difficult to actually have

volunteer sea fighters that would like to go and move into a ship that is still

in a conflict area, and I wouldn't blame any seafighters not wanting to go there.

Yeah. It's not safe or even viable to swap out the cruise. I mean, I guess

that makes sense. So so what do you do? Is the UN working on an evacuation

plan? Are you trying to coordinate with these countries? Because at the start of this, when

we first started speaking, these ships were going on voyages that were going to take a

little bit of time. So they did have some supplies, but they have to be running

low by now. And I would imagine this is getting pretty urgent that you need to

either get those ships moving or get those seafarers out of there.

Oh, that's correct. And that's why de escalation, it's the main message that I will maintain.

Because that would allow us to continue to go back to the trade as we know

within this trade of foremost. The reality right now is that we're very grateful to the

countries in the region that they continue to provide with the challenges some supplies to these

vessels for the seafarers to keep going. That's also the fact that even remotely, the companies,

the ship owners, and ship operators, as well as the countries are providing that assistance in

order to address mental health and fatigue and making the communications between the seafarers and their

families just to keep them informed as well. And we are getting information and stories from

the seafarers of the ordeal that they're actually experiencing there.

I've seen some of them calling into, some of our sister competing networks. Some of the

captains have been doing some interviews. But, I mean, I would imagine that's difficult too. Communications,

aren't incredibly reliable when you're on that kind of vessel. Are you doing anything? Last time

you said you were concerned about their mental health. Is there anything being done? Are there

people they can talk to through their companies, or are they just trying to hang in

there until they can get home and see their loved ones?

No. There's there are actions that the companies and the countries are actually are taking on

board with this. There's some countries that have that have installed and established helplines 247 for

the seafarers to have that communications. Other companies are providing that expertise remotely as well for

the seafarers. What we're also doing on behalf of the member states at the IMO is

just last week, during the externalization of the council, we agreed to move forward in establishing

an evacuation mechanism or a corridor in order to start allowing those ships to sail through

the Strait Of Hormuz. And it's one of those diplomatic conversations, and negotiations that I'm starting

to carry out, particularly with all the countries involved in the region.

How would that work? Can you give us any details of how that evacuation humanitarian corridor

would work? Because you would, in theory, need to get Iran's sign on for that. Correct?

Oh, absolutely. And it's one of the first countries that I'm starting the conversations with together

with all the other countries in the region and countries beyond the region because the reality

is that this conflict and by bringing shipping to a standstill, it affecting us all globally.

So right now, the first steps is, of course, how we're going to bring the parties

together in order to allow us to follow through with the decision at IMO last week.

We can carry out the operational aspects. The traffic separation schemes, which is like a corridor

for the ships to move in and out in this area, already exist since 1968. So

for us, it's very simple to actually put this in operation. What we need is the

political will and the compromises for the countries in order for the ships to start sailing,

starting with those that have been there running short on supplies and that needs some evacuations

or seafarers that need some further assistance.

The US has offered to do military escorts of some of these ships through the strait.

Do you think that would help or hinder this plan for a humanitarian corridor? Do you

think that would make it harder for Iran to accept, or do you think that would

make it easier to facilitate the the evacuation of these ships?

One of the consents that I keep repeating in relation to naval escort submersion ships is

that it doesn't eliminate a 100% the risk of a ship being targeted by a drone

or a missile, and that would put the life of seafarer at risk, something that we

cannot accept. So what we're working on is in the operational aspects in the diplomacy. Also,

need to remember that the Strait Of Hormuz is quite narrow. In the shortest area, it's

around just over 30 kilometers wide. There needs to be very proper coordination in cooperation between

any countries that will rely or will provide this kind of assistance, but it is not

sustainable, and it's not a long term solution.

It also sounds to me like you're saying you think it's safer to have a diplomatic

agreed to humanitarian corridor that Iran and other parties have signed on to rather than a

military escort, with The US' help.

Absolutely. It's for years, for decades, the Strait Of have been operating ships in and out

without any issues. All the technical measures and operational measures have been in place for a

while, and every single mariner knows what to do whenever they get to the Strait Of

Hormuz and how to trade in the region. What we need is to deescalate, allow shipping

to continue to operate as normal, and that is something that we can do through diplomacy

and negotiations.

I also wanna ask you about your communications with Iran. Are you speaking to them directly?

Are you speaking to them through intermediaries? And are you speaking to The US directly or

through intermediaries?

I speak to all the member states of IMO, and, of course, that includes The United

States and The Islamic Republic Of Iran. They have permanent representations here in London, and I

maintain contact, con continuous conversations with them face to face, remotely, you name it. The the

the main task that I will carry out here is as well is maintain that role

into bringing the parties together, having the conversations, finding the ways that we can agree on

how to assist the vessels because every single country at IMO repeated the same message. We

should not be affecting negatively shipping because of these geopolitical situations. We need to respect freedom

of navigation, and seafarers have to be protected and not to be used as collateral damage.

President Trump has said Iran let, a tanker or two through. Is that accurate? Have you

seen any kind of movement?

We are tracking movement, around the Strait Of Hormuz. Of course, before the conflict started, there

was around, on average, a 130 vessels that will pass every day. Right now, those numbers,

are very limited from two to five. Yeah. And there are some conversations between the Islamic

Republic Of Iran and all the countries in order to get some agreements for some ships

to actually sell through.

I also wanna ask, we've talked about the humans on these ships, but there is also

concern about some of the cargo on these ships, including fertilizer and other perishable goods. Some

of it could become unstable and dangerous. Some of it could be rotting in these cargo

holds. How big of a concern is that, and is that likely at this point? And

what do you do about that?

Right now, those are the reasons why we always will need to have seafarers onboard the

vessels because they can manage those situations and take any new operational necessary action. But, of

course, the main concern continues to be the supplies. And once we actually have this evacuation

corridor in place, then we can take onboard all those concerns in relation to the cargoes

that are onboard and which are the first ships that need to be that need to

sail through the Strait Of Hormuz.