IMO condemns ship attacks in Strait of Hormuz, urges stepped-up maritime security

The International Maritime Organization said on July 8 that attacks on several commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz over the previous two days had again put civilian mariners at risk. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called the attacks “reckless” and said “innocent seafarers” had been placed in “grave danger,” renewing the U.N. shipping agency’s call for restraint and stronger security arrangements in the waterway. The statement came as U.S. Central Command said it had carried out a second day of strikes on Iran “to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.” NBC News reported that Iran responded by striking U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, underscoring how quickly attacks on merchant vessels have become part of the wider U.S.-Iran confrontation. (imo.org) The IMO has tracked 52 confirmed incidents in and around the Strait of Hormuz and the Middle East as of July 8, with 14 confirmed seafarer fatalities. Its incident list shows that on July 7 the LNG tanker CYPRUS PROSPERITY was damaged 6 nautical miles east of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, with no injuries or pollution reported. ### Why did the IMO speak out again this week? (nbcnews.com) Arsenio Dominguez said on July 8 that he was “once again” compelled to speak out after attacks on “commercial ships and innocent seafarers” tied to “geopolitical circumstances beyond their control.” He said no seafarer should have to risk death simply for doing the job and called for “maximum restraint and de-escalation.” (imo.org) The IMO has been escalating its warnings for months. On June 9, Dominguez said there was “no commercial justification” for risking crews’ lives in a strait that remained “highly volatile,” and in March the agency said attacks and threats against vessels had harmed merchant shipping and required an internationally coordinated security response. (imo.org) ### Which ship has drawn the most concern? The July 7 hit on CYPRUS PROSPERITY has drawn the sharpest concern because the vessel was carrying liquefied natural gas. The IMO’s incident log identifies it as damaged but says there was no pollution and no injuries. RFE/RL reported that analysts said a more severe strike on a fully laden LNG tanker could have caused an environmental disaster and mass casualties. (imo.org) CBS News reported separately last week that another commercial vessel in the strait had its bridge damaged after a drone strike near the Oman coast, with no casualties or environmental impact reported in that case. ### How does this fit into the shipping crisis already underway? (imo.org) The Strait of Hormuz had only recently seen traffic recover after a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at restoring passage for at least 60 days. CBS News reported on June 25 that ship traffic had risen to 70 vessels on a Tuesday, from six a week earlier, according to analytics firm Kpler, after months in which shipping had been heavily disrupted. (rferl.org) The IMO had announced a large-scale evacuation effort for stranded mariners on June 23, then paused part of that operation after a vessel attack in the Gulf of Oman. Dominguez said at the time that the pause was needed to reconfirm that “necessary safety guarantees” remained in place. ### Why are officials linking Hormuz and the Red Sea? (cbsnews.com) CBS News reported on July 9 that EU and Gulf officials were preparing talks on freedom of navigation in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. That pairing reflects concern that pressure on one route can spill into the other, after months in which attacks and threats have affected commercial shipping across both corridors. (imo.org) The IMO has also tied the regions together in its recent warnings. On July 6, the agency called for the urgent release of 44 seafarers held by pirates in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while its Hormuz briefings have repeatedly stressed the need for coordinated international protection of civilian shipping. ### What happens next for ships and crews in the strait? (cbsnews.com) The IMO’s current position is that seafarer safety must come first, and Dominguez has said the agency will keep working with member states and partners on safe navigation. The organization’s Middle East incident page and press briefings are now serving as the main public record of confirmed attacks, casualties and ship damage. (imo.org) CBS News said EU and Gulf officials are preparing the next round of talks on navigation, while NBC News reported that U.S. military operations were continuing as of July 9. For shipowners, insurers and crews, the next concrete milestones are likely to come from those diplomatic talks and from any new IMO safety guidance tied to confirmed incidents in the waterway. (cbsnews.com) (imo.org)