Persian Gulf
Context of the crisis
Since the start of joint Israeli-American strikes against Iran, maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively halted. Iranian authorities have explicitly threatened to target any commercial vessel attempting to pass through this strategic area, which is essential to global oil transportation.
In response to the crisis, the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture is fully mobilized to support shipowners and seafarers. Under the authority of the Minister of Transport, teams from the DGAMPA and the RIF one-stop shop have activated a crisis unit. Its objective is to provide real-time support to shipowners and seafarers, particularly in the management and repatriation of crews.
To contact them: rif.crise@mer.gouv.fr
On an operational level, the French authorities are also in constant contact with French ships in the area via the French Navy’s Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness (MICA) Center, based in Brest.
The Centre Ressource d’Aide Psychologique en Mer (CRAPEM) provides support to seafarers on board.
Find all the latest news on the situation in the Middle East on the website of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Nationals currently in the region are advised to register on the Ariane thread to receive the latest alerts concerning the area in which they are located.
Recommendations to shipowners and shipmanagers
Shipping companies and shipmanagers are invited to be extremely vigilant in their risk analyses prior to any commercial operation involving transit in the Strait of Ormuz.
Make yourself known to the national and European military authorities
Shipowners are invited to contact the French MICA Center within the framework of voluntary naval cooperation (CNV).
The French MICA Center and the French Admiral Commander of the Maritime Zone and Maritime Forces of the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN) support shipowners and provide operational recommendations for navigation and ship safety in the Persian Gulf.
Designation of the Persian Gulf as a high-risk area by the IBF and ITF
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG), as social partners of the International Bargaining Forum (IBF), have designated on March 2nd the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters as a High Risk Area.