Six Months of Clashes in Hormuz: 68 Ships Involved in Incidents and 20 Dead

For six months, the Strait of Hormuz has become one of the main flashpoints in the confrontation between the United States, Israel and Iran, while a large number of commercial vessels have been targeted in this strategically important maritime area.

The International Maritime Organization has confirmed a total of 68 “incidents” in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, equivalent to an average of one incident every 2.5 days.

According to the organization, which is part of the United Nations system, these events have caused the deaths of at least 20 seafarers or port workers. Meanwhile, 35 people have been injured and another is officially listed as missing.

The main targets of the incidents have been oil tankers, which account for almost half of the cases. Container ships were hit in 20% of cases, while 15% involved bulk carriers.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations office, UKMTO, which operates under the Ministry of Defence, has classified 47 of these “incidents” as “attacks.”

The largest number of affected vessels were those flying the Liberian flag, 13 in total. They were followed by vessels flying the Panamanian flag, with 10 cases, as well as those flying the Marshall Islands flag. In four “incidents,” vessels flying the Iranian flag were targeted.

The intensity of these events changed throughout the war. From the start of the conflict on February 28 until the signing of the so-called Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in mid-June, one incident was reported every 2–3 days.

During this interval, 16 people were killed and 19 were injured. All the cases occurred in the Persian Gulf, east and west of Hormuz, as well as along the coasts of Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

During the negotiations, around July 7, the rate of incidents fell by half, reaching one case every 4–6 days. No seafarer or port worker was reported killed, injured or missing during this period.

Four of the five incidents during the same period were concentrated in the maritime area off the coast of Oman, near the narrowest point of the shipping route, along a passage that had not been approved by the Iranian authorities.

After the failure of the Washington–Tehran agreement, the number of cases rose again to levels almost identical to those recorded before the negotiations. According to IMO data, an average of almost one incident every three days was recorded during this phase.

At this stage of the war, four seafarers or port workers lost their lives, 16 people were injured, while one was declared missing.