Six months of war: 20 dead in 68 incidents near Hormuz, says IMO

The Strait of Hormuz has been the focal point of the six-month conflict between Iran and the US and Israel. Commercial vessels have been targeted in this crucial route for oil and gas shipments. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recorded 68 incidents in the Gulf and nearby waters, averaging one every 2.6 days. At least 20 seafarers or port workers have lost their lives, with 35 injured and one missing.

Half of the incidents involved tankers, 20 percent container ships, and 15 percent bulk carriers. The UK Maritime Trade Operations deemed 47 incidents as attacks. Liberian-flagged vessels faced the highest risk, involved in 13 incidents, followed by ten each from Panama and the Marshall Islands, with Iran responsible for four incidents.

Incident frequency fluctuated throughout the various stages of the war. From February's outbreak of conflict until June's peace talks, an incident occurred approximately every 2.3 days, resulting in 16 deaths and 19 injuries. During this period, incidents spanned the entire Gulf, including both east and west of Hormuz, and off the coasts of Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE.

Once peace talks commenced in mid-June, the incident rate dropped to one every 4.6 days, with no reported fatalities. However, after talks collapsed, the rate surged, averaging one incident every 2.8 days. Four seafarers or workers were killed, 16 injured, and one reported missing since then.