IMO Sounds Alarm as Attacks on Merchant Ships Spread Across Global Trade Routes
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned governments against using conflicts as a pretext to attack merchant vessels and seafarers. The IMO has verified 80 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, killing at least 22 seafarers. Attacks have also caused fatalities in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and four seafarers were killed in a Houthi attack in the Red Sea on August 11.
Why it matters: This matters for maritime security and global supply chains, as attacks on shipping across multiple chokepoints threaten energy flows, commodity markets and the safety of seafarers.