LONDON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- At least four seafarers were killed and three seriously injured in a deadly attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said Friday, stressing that seafarers must never be targets.
The announcement came after earlier reports of two seafarers killed and one missing in separate incidents in the region, bringing the confirmed death toll linked to recent tensions in the critical waterway to at least six.
"I am alarmed and deeply saddened to hear of a deadly attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on March 6, 2026," Dominguez said, adding that "my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected, as well as the global maritime community mourning these losses."
Dominguez also warned that about 20,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Gulf, working aboard vessels under heightened risk and considerable psychological pressure.
"This is unacceptable and unsustainable," he said, calling on all parties to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of seafarers, including their rights and well-being, and the freedom of navigation, in accordance with international law. ■