A Quebec-based shipping company says three maritime trainees who had been aboard its vessels in the Persian Gulf since late February have returned safely to the province.

In a release issued Friday, Desgagnés confirmed the trainees from the Institut maritime du Québec (IMQ) were on board the N/M Rosaire A. Desgagnés and N/M Miena Desgagnés and had been unable to leave the region since Feb. 28.

The company said it implemented a repatriation plan due to ongoing uncertainty around when security measures would allow the vessels to leave the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, the only maritime exit from the Persian Gulf, has been heavily impacted by escalating conflict in the region.

Recent fighting involving Iran, the United States and Israel has led to missile and drone attacks, heightened security risks and severe disruptions to commercial shipping in the narrow passage.

The situation has turned the area into what maritime groups describe as a high-risk zone, with ships facing threats ranging from attacks to navigation disruptions.

Desgagnés said the trainees were flown to Europe from Saudi Arabia, with support from local maritime agents and Saudi authorities, before continuing their journey back to Canada

The IMQ provided support services to the trainees and their families throughout the situation, including personalized psychosocial support.

The trainees had been on board the vessels as part of a sea training program required for their college diploma in navigation and a deck officer’s certificate from Transport Canada.

Desgagnés thanked the crews of both vessels, as well as local maritime agents and Saudi authorities, for their cooperation in ensuring the trainees’ safe return.

– With files from The Canadian Press