Strait of Hormuz Has Caused Not Only Economic Damage But Also Significant Human Suffering, According to the International Maritime in Iran

Since the strait was first closed on February 28, at least 19 seafarers and one shipyard worker have been killed, 35 others injured, and one person reported missing, the IMO said. The IMO recorded 68 so-called maritime incidents in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters over the past six months, including damage to merchant ships, fires, leaks, sinkings, detentions, and direct attacks. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) classified 47 of these incidents as attacks.

The frequency of incidents has varied over the course of the conflict. From the start of the war in late February until a framework agreement was reached in mid-June, an incident was reported on average roughly every two days. During that period, 16 of the 20 deaths occurred, and 19 people were injured.

While talks on a peace deal were ongoing until about July 7, the rate halved to roughly one incident every five days, with no seafarers or port workers reported killed, missing, or injured. Since the talks collapsed, the rate has risen to about one reported incident every three days. Four seafarers or port workers have been killed since then, 16 more injured, and one person reported missing.

Around 6,000 seafarers and 500 ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, the IMO said, adding that "ongoing talks" are aimed at ensuring safe passage, but the outcome depends "on a de-escalation in the region. Before the war, about a fifth of global oil consumption and a fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade passed through the strait. After Tehran closed it, tanker traffic fell from an average of 95 transits per day in February to about 10 per day, according to an analysis of data from shipping monitor Kpler.

The June framework agreement temporarily raised transits to an average of 36 per day, before falling back to 15 per day after fighting resumed on July 8. Ships now use two routes: one in the north near the Iranian coast, officially approved by Tehran, and one in the south between the Omani coast and potentially mined areas, which Tehran calls a "danger zone. Since the ceasefire ended on July 8, most transits have been "dark, meaning their exact routes cannot be confirmed due to deactivated transponders, disrupted signals, or missing satellite imagery. Before the war, ships passed toll-free through a central IMO-designated shipping lane.

Between the framework agreement and the resumption of fighting, an average of nine ships per day used the Iranian route and eight the Omani route, with the rest using unidentified routes or the traditional IMO corridor. Since July 8, the majority of transits have been "dark.