Hormuz incidents leave 20 maritime workers dead, IMO says

The International Maritime Organization said 68 incidents have been confirmed in the Gulf and neighbouring waters during six months of war between Iran and the United States and Israel, with at least 20 seafarers or port workers reported killed.

The UN maritime agency said 35 people were wounded and one was missing across all the incidents. The total is equivalent to one confirmed incident every 2.6 days.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations classified 47 of the incidents as attacks. About half of all incidents involved tankers, while 20% involved container ships and 15% involved bulk carriers.

Liberia-flagged vessels were the most affected, with 13 incidents involving them. Vessels from Panama and the Marshall Islands were involved in 10 incidents each. Iran-flagged vessels were reported as involved in four incidents.

The rate of incidents changed during the war. From the outbreak of fighting at the end of February until a mid-June framework for peace talks, an incident was reported on average once every 2.3 days. Incidents during that period accounted for 16 deaths and 19 injuries, and were recorded across the Gulf and off the coasts of Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

During peace talks, until around July 7, the rate fell to one incident every 4.6 days on average. No seafarers or other workers were reported killed, missing or injured during that period. Four of the five incidents then were clustered off the Omani coast around the strait's narrowest point, along a route not authorised by Iranian authorities.

Since talks collapsed, the rate has risen to one incident every 2.8 days. The IMO said four seafarers or workers were killed, 16 injured and one reported missing during that period.