Maritime bodies warn prolonged closure risks humanitarian and economic fallout Last updated: May 12, 2026 | 02:53 A boat approaches the container ship Marsa Victory while cruising in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Khasab in Oman’s northern Musandam peninsula. File photo taken on June 25, 2025. AFP Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said there is an “urgent need” to free commercial vessels stranded along the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Arsenio Dominguez, head of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). “We focused on the maritime challenge in the Strait of Hormuz, the importance of adherence to international law, and respect for the sovereignty of territorial waters. There is an urgent need to advance a humanitarian initiative to free ships in the Gulf, in safety and in cooperation with the littoral states,” Albusaidi wrote in a social media post. Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the  Gulf News  app now - simply  click here .…