Muscat, Oman. International Chamber of Shipping Secretary General Thomas Kazakos has called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz after one Indian seafarer was killed and eight others injured in a missile strike on two Emirati oil tankers.
Kazakos said seafarers were again paying the price for a conflict in which they had no involvement and said attacks on commercial shipping must stop.
Tankers damaged in Omani waters
The very large crude carriers Mombasa B and Al Bahyah, operated by the shipping arm of Abu Dhabi state oil company ADNOC, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz in Omani territorial waters.
Fires broke out aboard both vessels, which sustained significant damage. The fires were later brought under control. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the strikes, saying the tankers had ignored repeated warnings.
Four of the eight injured Indian seafarers were reported to be seriously hurt.
Shipping conditions remain volatile
The incident marked a further escalation in the Strait, where shipping conditions have remained highly volatile since the conflict began on February 28.
Several commercial vessels have been struck in recent weeks, while tanker and gas carrier traffic has fallen sharply as shipowners assess risks to vessels and crews.
Kazakos said that “once again seafarers have, through no fault of their own, been placed in harm’s way and sadly another seafarer has lost their life,” adding that the attacks were unjustified.
Opposition to tolls and restrictions
Kazakos also rejected proposals to impose charges, restrictions or new clearance requirements on vessels using the waterway.
His comments followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington would reinstate a blockade on Iranian shipping and seek a 20 per cent charge on cargo passing through the Strait in return for US protection.
“The principle of freedom of navigation has been sidelined during the war, hindering global trade and crucial energy supply routes,” Kazakos said. He added that there was no legal mechanism for imposing a toll or restrictions on vessels passing through the Strait and urged countries to uphold what he described as a fundamental principle of maritime law.
IMO position and energy importance
The IMO Council has similarly reaffirmed that passage through the Strait must remain free from tolls and charges under international law. It said any arrangements introduced by states in the region must guarantee non-discriminatory and unimpeded transit passage for all vessels using internationally recognised shipping lanes.
Kazakos said the focus should be on a permanent return to unimpeded passage through the Strait without a toll or other clearance mechanism.
About 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the Strait in 2024, equivalent to approximately 20 per cent of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than one-quarter of worldwide seaborne oil trade. Around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade also passed through Hormuz, primarily from Qatar.
