Hormuz at the heart of the conflict after six months of war: 20 dead in 68 incidents
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the main focal points of the war that has been raging for six months between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
Throughout the war, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) recorded 68 incidents in the strait, averaging one incident every 2.6 days.
These incidents resulted in the deaths of at least 20 seafarers or port workers, while 35 others were injured and one person remains missing, according to the United Nations agency.
Nearly half of the incidents involved oil tankers, around 20% involved container ships, and 15% involved bulk carriers.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that 47 of the total incidents were classified as attacks.
Vessels flying the Liberian flag were the most frequently affected in the vital waterway, accounting for 13 incidents, followed by vessels flying the flags of Panama and the Marshall Islands, with 10 incidents each.
Vessels flying the Iranian flag were reportedly damaged in four incidents.
The frequency of these incidents fluctuated throughout the different stages of the war.
From the outbreak of the conflict in late February until the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran in mid-June, paving the way for peace talks, an average of one incident was reported every 2.3 days.
The incidents recorded during that period resulted in 16 deaths and 19 injuries.
As peace talks continued until July 7, the rate of incidents fell by nearly half, with one incident recorded every 4.6 days on average.
No deaths, disappearances, or injuries involving other seafarers or workers were reported during this period.
The area off the coast of Oman, at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz, accounted for four of the five incidents recorded during this period.
Since the collapse of the negotiations, the rate of incidents has risen again to levels close to those recorded before the talks, with an average of one incident every 2.8 days.
As a result, four seafarers or workers were killed, 16 were injured, and one person was reported missing.
