The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has verified 80 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since 28 February, with at least 22 seafarers killed and many others injured.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez addressed the attacks during a meeting of the Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers in London. He urged member states to avoid actions that endanger merchant ships and their crews.
IMO also reported attacks on international shipping in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, where dozens of seafarers have reportedly been killed in recent months. The organization said exact figures remain difficult to verify.
In the Red Sea, IMO confirmed four fatalities following an attack by the Houthis on a merchant vessel on 11 August.
Dominguez said the attacks affecting merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov were not attributable to a single country. He also said resolving the underlying geopolitical conflicts falls outside IMO’s mandate.
IMO called on delegates to raise the impact of attacks on merchant shipping with their governments and relevant international bodies. The organization said disruptions to shipping can affect supply chains, economies and communities beyond the maritime sector.
The Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers is meeting in London from 14 to 18 September to discuss safety matters involving dangerous goods, bulk cargoes and containers transported by sea.
