IMO Chief Condemns Attacks on Merchant Ships in Strait of Hormuz

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on July 8 that recent attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz had left hundreds of ships and about 6,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf for security reasons, according to Jiemian News. Dominguez said multiple commercial ships transiting the strait were attacked over the past two days and urged flag states, shipowners, operators and relevant authorities to avoid routing vessels through the strait until seafarer safety can be ensured. He also called on all relevant countries to exercise maximum restraint, push for immediate de-escalation, and help ships still in Gulf waters depart safely. Separately, U.S. Central Command said on July 7 it had completed a new round of strikes on Iran, hitting more than 80 targets including air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 small boats of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, describing the strikes as a response to Iran’s recent attacks on merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.