Strait of Hormuz: 68 commercial ship incidents, 20 dead in six months

The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the world's most dangerous maritime zones during the US-Israel conflict with Iran, with 68 incidents involving commercial ships recorded in six months, resulting in at least 20 deaths and 35 injuries, according to the International Maritime Organization. Half of the recorded incidents targeted oil tankers, while 20% involved container ships and 15% bulk carriers. The UK Maritime Trade Operations classified 47 of the 68 incidents as attacks. Ships flagged to Liberia were hit most frequently, followed by Panama and Marshall Islands vessels. Incident frequency varied with conflict phases: one every 2.3 days before mid-June, slowing to one every 4.6 days during negotiations, then rising again to one every three days after the agreement collapsed. Four incidents involved Iranian-flagged ships.