Amman, June 23 (Petra) - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Tuesday it started a large-scale operation to assist hundreds of ships and roughly 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran-US ceasefire.

The agency started contacting ships to initiate the operation, an IMO spokesperson said, but did not provide a timeline for its completion.

The large-scale effort will be carried out in close coordination with coastal states in the region, the US, and the maritime industry, added IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez.

"We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations," Dominguez said.

//Petra// HA