During the past few weeks the Secretary-General of the only UN organisation based in the UK, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has addressed international meetings and featured in global media as he responds to the effects on seafarers of Iran’s closing the strait of Hormuz as a result of Donald Trump’s illegal war against that country.

On 17 April IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Arsenio Dominguez, addressed the France-UK Summit on Freedom of Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

20,000 seafarers have become stranded in the Persian Gulf, and Mr. Dominguez  was interviewed by CNN’s Richard Quest on this topic.

On 18 April the Guardian reported Mr Dominguez saying “We are currently verifying the recent announcement related to the reopening of the strait of Hormuz, in terms of its compliance with freedom of navigation for all merchant vessels and secure passage”. That reopening failed because Trump continued to prevent ships visiting Iran’s ports.