Dozens of Iranian Seafarers Reported Killed Amid Escalating Maritime Conflict

At least 44 Iranian seafarers have been killed and dozens more injured since the start of the conflict involving the United States and Israel, according to claims by a senior union official representing maritime workers.

Saman Rezaei, general secretary of the Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate, said the fatalities include civilian sailors, fishermen, and dock workers. He stated that the deaths occurred between late February and early April and were linked to attacks on Iran’s ports and commercial vessels.

The figures, which have not been independently verified, were compiled using data from Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization and union sources. Rezaei said the reported casualties do not include members of Iran’s military.

In formal complaints submitted to the International Maritime Organization, Rezaei attributed the deaths to what he described as “attacks by US and Israeli armies on Iranian ports and commercial fleets” operating in territorial waters and the Gulf region.

He also reported that at least 29 seafarers have been injured and nine remain missing.

“The humanitarian crisis is affecting all seafarers in the Persian Gulf, including the crews of Iranian flagged ships. However, they face a unique and terrifying set of pressures,” Rezaei said.

According to the union, thousands of maritime workers have been trapped in conflict affected waters for weeks, facing shortages of essential supplies and growing psychological stress.

The broader conflict has significantly disrupted shipping activity in key waterways, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, where a large portion of the world’s energy supplies typically transit. The ongoing blockade and security threats have left an estimated 20,000 seafarers stranded in the region.

Despite a ceasefire announced earlier, tensions at sea have continued. Iranian forces have reportedly engaged vessels attempting to navigate the strait, while foreign military operations have targeted ships suspected of violating sanctions.

One such incident involved the seizure of the Iranian flagged vessel MV Touska by US forces in the Gulf of Oman. The United States Central Command stated that the ship was detained for allegedly breaching sanctions linked to Iran’s oil trade.

Rezaei said the vessel carried a mixed group of crew members, including civilians, and confirmed that several individuals had recently been released and returned to Iran.

International labor representatives have emphasized that many of those affected are civilians caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions.

Stephen Cotton, head of the International Transport Workers Federation, stressed that seafarers on all sides of the conflict should be treated as noncombatants, regardless of the flags under which they operate.

The maritime crisis continues to evolve as military operations, sanctions enforcement, and regional tensions intersect, placing both global trade and civilian lives at increasing risk.