What happened
Around 6,000 seafarers are stranded near the Strait of Hormuz due to escalating attacks on commercial ships, according to International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez. The region has seen 24 ship attacks in roughly two weeks, with seafarers continuing to perish in these incidents.
The IMO has recorded 100 confirmed maritime incidents in the region, with 24 seafarers killed since the conflict began. Dominguez warned that the situation is severe and critical, with a double blockade and too many vessels being attacked.
Iran has accused the US military of using VHF Channel 16, an internationally designated maritime distress and safety channel, to intimidate Iranian crews in the Persian Gulf. The US Central Command has defended its enforcement of the naval blockade of Iranian ports, stating that it is professionally communicated to all international mariners.
Dominguez stressed that seafarers are not trained for combat and should not be subjected to threatening messages on emergency channels. He also warned that fraudulent ship registrations and false flags have become major contributors to the danger in the region.
