Iran Government Seizes Commercial Ship; Global Shipping Industry Calls It 'Intolerable'

On Friday, April 31, global shipping industry associations issued a statement calling for United Nations protection for ships and sailors. The statement noted that 'commercial ships and sailors are increasingly at risk at sea as attacks in the Middle East escalate.' The associations further urged the UN to take additional measures to protect the maritime transport chain. Tensions in the Middle East have risen since Israel's operations in Gaza began last October, which were a response to a terrorist attack by the Palestinian group Hamas. In recent months, Israel and the U.S., its ally, have repeatedly clashed with groups aligned with the Islamic Republic in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Leading global shipping associations stated in a letter sent to the UN Secretary-General on Thursday that the seizure of the commercial ship 'MSC Aris' 50 miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates is indicative of an 'intolerable' shipping situation. This Portuguese-flagged ship was seized by the Islamic Republic in the Strait of Hormuz on April 25. According to the state news agency IRNA, the Revolutionary Guards seized a cargo ship 'linked to Israel' in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department described the Revolutionary Guards' action as 'piracy' and called for the release of the ship and all its crew. In the letter from the shipping associations to the UN Secretary-General, it is stated that 'innocent sailors are being killed or taken hostage.' It continues, 'If four passenger planes with their innocent passengers were seized and taken hostage, the world would be outraged, but unfortunately, it seems that there is no similar concern for ships and their crews.' The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated on Thursday that an Indian woman aboard the MSC Aris has returned to India and is in contact with 16 other Indian crew members still on the ship. In another part of the letter from the shipping associations to the UN Secretary-General, it is stated, 'Given the ongoing changes and severe threats in the region, we ask you to increase military presence, missions, and patrols in the area to better protect sailors against any potential further aggression.' UN officials did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Recent attacks by the Houthis in Yemen, who are supported by the Islamic Republic, on commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have posed serious challenges to the global maritime transport chain. The Islamic Republic has also seized other ships in international waters in recent years, creating problems for the global shipping industry.