As 3,200 Ships Trapped, Six Countries Prepare to Secure Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz

London, MINA – As some 3,200 ships remain stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, six Western allies, including Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, said in a joint statement on Thursday that they are ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”

“We welcome the commitment of the countries involved in the preparatory planning,” added the group, which also includes Italy and the Netherlands, Arab News reported.

The six countries condemned “in the strongest terms the recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf.”

The statement comes as some 20,000 sailors remain stranded on some 3,200 vessels west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Maritime Organization, due to Iran’s effective blockade of the vital maritime waterway. []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)