Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization since 2024
Oil shipments through the Hormuz Strait have increased since the US and Iran reached a deal, with several tankers moving through and sanctions being waived for a 60-day period. Analysts say traffic is climbing toward prewar patterns, though total exports remain below historic peaks.
The US and Iran have signed a preliminary agreement and opened a 60-day negotiating window that has paused charges through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman have formed a working group to study future administration and service fees. Shipping has begun to return but remains well below prewar levels while demining and safety work continues.
The UN's International Maritime Organization has paused its evacuation of around 600 stranded ships and 11,000 seafarers after a vessel was struck off Oman's coast on Thursday. The attack, which multiple maritime sources say likely involved a drone or unknown projectile, has prompted fresh warnings from Iran and halted the IMO operation while safety guarantees are rechecked.
The Financial Conduct Authority has had parts of its £9.1bn motor‑finance compensation scheme suspended after legal challenges from Volkswagen Financial Services, Mercedes‑Benz Financial Services, Crédit Agricole Auto Finance and consumer group Consumer Voice. The Upper Tribunal has set hearings for December or February; lenders will not need to calculate or pay redress while legal proceedings continue, delaying mass payouts until at least 2027 if the scheme survives.
Strait of Hormuz traffic remains disrupted amid ongoing U.S.-Iran talks. Iran has closed the waterway previously, but maritime trackers show continued movement through other routes. U.S.-Iran discussions in Switzerland are pressing toward a 60-day window to end hostilities and restore some oil-flow waivers.
Vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz have picked up, with traffic slowly returning after a recent slowdown tied to US-Iran exchanges of strikes. Iran and Oman are managing separate corridors, while the wider tension between Washington and Tehran remains, and the pre-war level of navigation has not yet returned.
US forces have carried out strikes on Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after they detected efforts to deploy rockets with naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has launched missile and drone attacks at US bases in Jordan and the UAE in response. Both sides are signalling readiness to hit back again while diplomatic and economic pressure continues.
Iran continues to push for de-escalation and a reopening of Hormuz as sanctions bite. Tehran reports progress with Oman on a temporary corridor, while inflation soars and imports fall, in a war that has disrupted global energy routes.