Iran war
Organization: 20,000 sailors are stuck in the Persian Gulf
Updated on March 7, 2026 – 12:01 amReading time: 2 minutes
The Iraq war is also having a massive impact on shipping. Thousands of sailors are in danger. And sit tight.
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), around 20,000 sailors are stuck on board ships in the Persian Gulf because of the Iran war. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called this unacceptable, pointing to their increased risk and “significant psychological distress.” All parties involved in the conflict are obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of seafarers and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law.
The Persian Gulf is only connected to the world’s oceans by the Strait of Hormuz, which is important for international trade. Iran rejects reports of a complete closure of the strait between its country and Oman. According to US war observers, shipping traffic there has fallen by around 90 percent. There are important oil producing countries on the Gulf of Persia; in addition to Iran, its neighbors include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
Dominguez pointed to a deadly attack on a ship (“Mussafah 2”) in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday that reportedly left at least four sailors dead and three seriously injured. Seafarers should not be targeted, he said.
Recently, ships have repeatedly been hit by projectiles in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The threat from Iranian missiles and drones has brought commercial shipping in the region to a near standstill since the latest fighting began on Saturday.
