Defying active conflict zones, a rising number of commercial transits are pushing through the Strait of Hormuz, placing seafarers directly in the line of fire.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has once again prioritized seafarer safety and welfare, particularly as an increasing number of commercial vessels attempt to transit the highly volatile Strait of Hormuz.
“I am increasingly concerned by reports that vessels continue to attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz without any credible securityguarantees, despite well‑established risks and the fact that seafarers have already been killed, injured and others detained in recent incidents,” Dominguez said in a statement.
“My primary concern is for the safety and lives of the seafarers being placed in these situations. They must not be exposed to conditions where the risks are known, significant, and clearly beyond mitigation. The current situation remains highly volatile, with no reliable security assurances in place. Under such circumstances, safe passage cannot be considered to exist.”
The statement from the IMO Secretary-General coincides with an increase in precarious transits through the Strait of Hormuz. Accurate tracking is severely hindered by a growing trend of vessels operating with deactivated AIS transponders; however, data from analytics firm Vortexa underscores the scale of the issue, indicating that dark transits comprised 65.2% of all crossings in May.
Maritime traffic is currently divided between two distinct corridors. The northern path follows an Iranian-designated route that Tehran claims is subject to authorization and transit fees. The southern alternative passes through Omani waters, where vessels receive security guidance from US forces without receiving full military escorts.
Despite ongoing volatility, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) downgraded the Strait’s threat assessment from Critical to Severe. “Due to the number of safe transits conducted via the southern route, this threat level has been reduced,” JMIC confirmed in its June 9 operational update. Highlighting the shipping slump, the center reported just eight verified transits on June 8—a stark decline from the historical baseline of 138 daily transits recorded before February 28.
The US-Israel conflict with Iran has raged for more than 100 days, triggering massive commercial pressure to free stranded ships in the Arabian Gulf and restart blocked oil and gas exports. On Tuesday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that Strait traffic is already climbing and will “continue to grow.” But the head of the IMO is drawing a hard line—Secretary-General Dominguez maintains that corporate profits must never override the lives of crew members.
“No commercial or operational consideration can justify exposing seafarers to such levels of danger. The protection of their lives must remain the overriding priority at all times,” he stated.
“I urge all stakeholders to act with the highest level of responsibility and reiterate my call on all parties to refrain from any actions that place innocent civilian seafarers at risk.”
