Merchant Mariners: Unseen in Peacetime and Forgotten in Conflict

The article describes a short-lived UN effort by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to evacuate commercial vessels carrying thousands of seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf after the Strait of Hormuz was closed for nearly four months. The operation, launched in late June with safety assurances, moved 115 ships and about 2,500 crew through the strait. However, on June 25, coinciding with International Day of the Seafarer, a projectile struck the cargo ship Ever Lovely off Oman, and no injuries were reported, but the IMO stopped the plan after it could no longer guarantee future ships would be safe. Less than two weeks later, explosions were reported near Kharg Island and at Bandar Abbas, Sirik and Qeshm Island, and the U.S. revoked a waiver allowing Tehran to sell oil under a June 17 interim agreement, reinstating sanctions. Around 6,000 sailors remained stranded, with IMO reporting at least 14 deaths and more than 40 vessel attacks since the war began. The text also explains how AIS and LRIT increase transparency of neutrality in modern maritime warfare.