By Jonathan Saul
LONDON, March 18 (Reuters) - A proposal from the UN's shipping agency on Wednesday calls for a safe maritime corridor to free some 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Gulf by war in Iran.
Hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.
The proposal submitted by Bahrain, Japan, Panama, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates and backed on Wednesday by the United States called for "a framework such as a safe maritime corridor".
It was submitted at a meeting of the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) governing council in London.
"The purpose of this framework would be to facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships," it said. "This measure aims to protect the lives of seafarers."
At least seven merchant sailors have been killed due to the conflict, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told delegates.
"They must not become victims of broader geopolitical tensions," he said, calling for de-escalation to allow the seafarers to leave the Gulf safely.
NATO countries are also looking at what can be done, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has asked nations to help police the strait to allow oil tankers and other vessels to pass in and out. The strait normally transports a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.
Iran said in a separate submission to the IMO that Iranian authorities continued to provide humanitarian assistance and support to seafarers and vessels in the Gulf and strait.
The IMO Council session continues on Thursday.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul; editing by Jason Neely)
