{"id":12631,"date":"2025-07-04T19:03:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T19:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=12631"},"modified":"2025-07-04T19:03:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T19:03:21","slug":"itf-raises-alarm-over-rising-dangers-to-seafarers-in-strait-of-hormuz-israeli-waters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=12631","title":{"rendered":"ITF Raises Alarm Over Rising Dangers To Seafarers In Strait Of Hormuz & Israeli Waters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
ITF Raises Alarm Over Rising Dangers To Seafarers In Strait Of Hormuz & Israeli Waters<\/div>\n

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The ITF voiced its concern this week to the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Israeli ports and asked that these areas be designated as Warlike Operations Areas (WOA). The move would give seafarers the right to refuse to enter these zones and to be repatriated safely and without penalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeafarers are being asked to operate in one of the most unstable and militarised regions,\u201d said David Heindel, Chair of ITF Seafarers\u2019 Section. \u201cOur goal is simple: to ensure they are informed of the risks, supported with appropriate protections, and have the right to protect themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an undeniable increase in military activity,\u201d Heindel added. \u201cThe Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz have seen a steady build-up of naval forces from multiple countries. Drone strikes, vessel seizures, and armed encounters involving commercial shipping are no longer isolated events \u2013 they are part of an increasingly dangerous pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ITF pointed to several factors driving concern. Military activity in the region has intensified, while at the same time, major maritime insurers have already classified these waters as war-risk zones \u2013 a sign of just how serious the threat has become.<\/p>\n

The ITF warned that seafarers are being placed in the crossfire of regional conflicts they have no part in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve heard directly from crew members and shipping companies that merchant ships are becoming targets,\u201d said Neven Melven, President of the Seafarers\u2019 Union of Croatia. \u201cThe use of missiles and drones in the vicinity of Israeli ports and along key shipping lanes reflects the asymmetric nature of modern conflict \u2013 and it puts civilian seafarers at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Declaring the areas as WOAs would unlock key protections: the right to refuse passage, access to risk pay and emergency support, and above all, the right to be safely repatriated.<\/p>\n

Mark Dickinson, Vice Chair of the ITF Seafarers\u2019 Section, said: \u201cIt\u2019s telling that major maritime insurers have already listed these waters as war-risk zones. Their assessments are based on security intelligence, not speculation. If the insurers recognise the threat, so should shipowners. And let\u2019s be honest: if the region truly wasn\u2019t dangerous, there wouldn\u2019t be a large and sustained military presence, armed ships, and naval convoys. The contradiction is obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ITF reaffirmed its willingness to continue dialogue but stressed that safety must come first.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclaring these areas as Warlike Operations Areas \u2013 or at least High-Risk Areas \u2013 gives seafarers the right to say \u2018no\u2019 without repercussion. We hope employers reconsider their position in the spirit of shared responsibility,\u201d Dickinson added. \u201cIn the meantime, we will continue to advocate for seafarers\u2019 rights, safety, and dignity \u2013 because no one should be forced to risk their life without a choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Press Release<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ITF Raises Alarm Over Rising Dangers To Seafarers In Strait Of Hormuz & Israeli Waters Image for representation purposes only The ITF voiced its concern this week to the Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman and Israeli ports and asked that these areas be designated as Warlike Operations Areas […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,196],"tags":[197],"class_list":["post-12631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marine-insight","category-shipping-news","tag-marine-insight"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12631"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}