IMO Counts at Least 70 Shipping Attacks and 19 Seafarer Deaths

The International Maritime Organization said it has verified at least 70 attacks on international shipping and 19 seafarer deaths since the Middle East conflict began on February 28. The agency said up to 400 ships carrying about 6,000 seafarers remain unable to leave the Persian Gulf safely, while around 20,000 seafarers and additional port and offshore workers are affected across the region. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved six months into the conflict. He urged governments, the shipping industry, IMO and the UN system to restore freedom of navigation, warning that disrupted fuel, fertilizer and commodity flows affect economies worldwide.