BERLIN, 2 March - At the very least, 25 ships?from 7 German maritime companies?including two?cruise ships?carrying about 7,000 'passengers' are stranded 'in 'Gulf waters 'and cannot leave the Strait of Hormuz due to security reasons. Germany's shipowners association VDR announced this on Monday, without naming any companies. Dertour Cruises and TUI Cruises announced earlier that they had suspended their Middle East travel plans or made adjustments after U.S.

The?VDR Statement:

The association stated that preliminary information indicated that there have been injuries and deaths caused by attacks on civilian ships near the Strait of Hormuz, and the adjacent waters off the coast of Oman. So far, no German seafarers or ships have been affected.

* There is currently no physical blockade by warships, mining or systematic controls at the Strait of Hormuz.

* Shipping companies hold crisis meetings and reroute vessels around Cape of Good Hope when operationally feasible.

The association urged international security authorities and policymakers to do "everything they can" to protect seafarers, passengers and civilian ships. (Reporting and editing by Linda Pasquini, Kirsti Knolle)

(source: Reuters)