US-Iran Hostilities Bring Shipping Near Standstill in Strait of Hormuz
US-Iran Hostilities Bring Shipping Near Standstill in Strait of Hormuz
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Renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran have reportedly brought shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to a near-standstill, leaving around 6,000 seafarers stranded aboard hundreds of vessels and placing Gulf states on high alert.
UN International Maritime Organization member states condemned threats and alleged attacks affecting Gulf waters, while several countries called for the protection of vital shipping lanes around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
Iran, in a separate submission, accused the United States and Israel of aggression and alleged armed interference with Iranian commercial vessels.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said transit through the strait should be avoided until safety conditions are restored. According to IMO data, 136 ships and 2,900 seafarers have been evacuated so far, while further evacuations remain suspended for security reasons.
Iranian health authorities said 14 people were killed and dozens injured in the latest exchanges over two days. The renewed fighting followed reported strikes on three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, despite a truce agreement signed by Iran and the United States on June 17.
The agreement called for a permanent end to military operations, renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, and sanctions relief.
The strait carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies, with around 130 commercial ships previously passing through each day. Crude prices briefly rose after the attacks before settling near $77 per barrel.
