LONDON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Maritime Organization (IMO) chief said Wednesday that the current priority is to evacuate stranded vessels and ensure safe navigation following a Gulf truce.

"The priority now is to ensure an evacuation that guarantees the safety of navigation," IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in an interview with Xinhua, welcoming the ceasefire "for the health and well-being of seafarers and the global shipping industry."

Dominguez said he is working with relevant parties to implement appropriate mechanisms to ensure the safe transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait, a key global energy shipping lane, has seen shipping activities nearly halted following large-scale military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran on Feb. 28, followed by retaliatory strikes from Iran.

Iran and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire and will hold negotiations in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Friday. Iran promised safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the two-week truce under "coordination" with Iranian armed forces.

According to the IMO, as of Tuesday, a total of 22 vessel attack incidents had been confirmed in areas around the Strait of Hormuz, with 10 seafarers killed and around 20,000 stranded in the Gulf. ■