Reported by Al Jazeera
International Maritime Organization records at least 25 deaths since the conflict started on February 28.
Commercial vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters have come under repeated attack since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran nine months ago.
The conflict has transformed one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors into a dangerous passage for crews transporting oil, gas and other goods.
More from the original report
On Sunday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three “rogue oil tankers travelling an unauthorised route” in the strait were subject to “explosions and severe fires”.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recorded the deaths of at least 25 seafarers since the war started on February 28. Many of those killed have been citizens of India, one of the world’s largest suppliers of merchant sailors.
“It is unacceptable that throughout this conflict seafarers have been placed in harm’s way,” the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), a shipping trade association and advocacy group, told Al Jazeera.
“It is incumbent on all parties to take all necessary steps to safeguard the safety of seafarers who are simply going about their job and have found themselves, through no fault of their own, in a highly volatile situation,” an ICS spokesperson added.
The latest incidents have raised questions about the safety of civilian crews, their ability to refuse dangerous assignments and the protections available under international law.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial passage for international shipping, Before the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passed through the waterway, which connects the Gulf to the Arabian Sea.
Iran essentially closed the strait after the US-Israeli attacks began, warning that ships trying to sail through the waterway without authorisation could be targeted. Meanwhile, Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Attacks on shipping have involved missiles, projectiles and naval mines that have damaged vessels, set them on fire or sunk them. According to the IMO, at least 129 incidents have been reported.
On Thursday, Iranian forces said five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in separate incidents in the strait.
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