Thomas Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), has issued a stark warning that seafarers are paying the highest price for the escalating violence in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Cypriot shipping executive called for an immediate end to attacks on commercial vessels, emphasizing that the safety of maritime crews is being compromised by the ongoing geopolitical friction in the critical chokepoint.
The appeal comes as global markets continue to price in elevated shipping risk, with Brent crude and freight rates reflecting the persistent threat to energy flows.
While diplomatic efforts have stalled in recent weeks, the physical reality for tanker operators remains one of heightened danger and operational uncertainty.
Kazakos’s intervention underscores the growing pressure on the industry to address not just the economic disruption, but the direct human toll on maritime workers.
This development follows a series of diplomatic setbacks, including stalled US-Iran talks in Doha over Strait issues and previous warnings from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding potential Iranian tolls on transit vessels.