UN's IMO working 'tirelessly' to solve Red Sea crisis: head

The International Maritime Organization is working tirelessly to solve the Red Sea crisis disrupting global transport.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is working "tirelessly" to solve the Red Sea crisis, which is severely disrupting the global transport of goods, its head Arsenio Dominguez told AFP.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, have launched dozens of attacks against ships in the Red Sea since November, targeting boats headed for Israel in an act of "solidarity" with inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, which is in the grip of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Despite retaliatory strikes by the U.S. and U.K., the rebels are still launching attacks, firing at U.S. ship "Star Nasia" and U.K. vessel "Morning Tide" on Tuesday.

The IMO, the United Nations agency responsible for security at sea, is working to ensure that "parties continue to talk so that the situation does not degenerate any further, and we can return to a safe maritime environment," Panama-born Secretary General Dominguez told AFP on Thursday.

"We are working tirelessly to coordinate action that will lead to a resolution," Mr. Dominguez added from the IMO's London headquarters.

The region is crucial for the global transport of goods, with around 12% of global maritime trade normally passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which controls access to the southern Red Sea.