VIDEO: U.S. responds to Iranian attacks on three Hormuz tankers

Screengrab from YouTube video

After Iranian attacks on three vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces yesterday struck over 80 Iranian targets, and the U.S.Treasury reimposed sanctions on the carriage of Iranian oil that had been eased as part of negotiations .

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the July 7 round of strikes hit over 80 targets with precision munitions “as an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

U.S. forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor.

“Iran recently attacked three commercial vessels transiting the strait including Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity,” said CENTCOM. “Tne unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation”

IMO SEC GEN UPDATES ON EVACUATIONS

In an update to the IMO Council today, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said that, under the now paused IMO framework announced June 23, 136 vessels with a total of 2,900 seafarers had been successfully evacuated from through two alternative routes as the existing Traffic Separation Scheme could not be used due to security risks, specifically, the existence of sea mines.

“Approximately 6,000 seafarers remain trapped in the region,” said the Secretary-General. “I am still seeking guarantees that vessels can evacuate the Strait of Hormuz using either of the alternative routes provided without the risk of threats of attack. I remain hopeful that the evacuation plan can be resumed, and the Secretariat continues to work with all parties concerned towards that end, so the thousands of affected seafarers can return to safety and normal trading conditions can begin to be restored in the area. “

Impact on ships and seafarers

“I want to be candid – this is not simply a matter of shipping statistics.” he said. “Behind the figures are seafarers, and in some cases their families, who continue to bear the human cost of this conflict. Too many seafarers have tragically lost their lives in connection with this conflict.

“At every opportunity, at IMO organ meetings, media appearances, as well as official statements, I reiterated that no attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is ever justified, that freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law that must be respected by all parties without exception, and that shipping and seafarers should never be used as leverage in geopolitical conflicts.

“I have called consistently for de-escalation, dialogue and multilateralism, and confirmed that the Secretariat is continuously working, including through the UN, on building regional capacity to respond to accidents, casualties and pollution incidents. And I will continue to do so.

The cost of insurance

“Another matter of great concern is the continued high cost of maritime insurance in the region, which is itself compounding the strain on shipowners and operators.

“This tells us that market pricing is not adjusting as conditions improve, governments with influence over the insurance and reinsurance markets have a role to play in engaging with insurers to ensure premiums reflect current realities, rather than continuing to reflect the peak of the crisis. It does not help the reduction on the cost of freight, and it affects, in particular, countries in those regions which have already suffered the consequences of these conflicts and are in need of assistance and the resumption of maritime trade.”