Escalating conflict in the Middle East is placing seafarers and port workers directly in harm’s way, triggering urgent appeals from global shipping and labor groups to protect civilian vessels and the people who operate them.

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As tensions intensify around the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waters, leading maritime organizations are calling on all parties to uphold freedom of navigation and ensure that transport workers are not drawn into a widening geopolitical crisis.

World Shipping Council President and CEO Joe Kramek said the deteriorating security environment has already disrupted liner services, with carriers pausing or rerouting operations as they assess the risks. He stressed that the safety of seafarers must remain the industry’s top priority and that civilian crews should never be targeted as a consequence of military escalation.

The warnings follow confirmed casualties. A seafarer was killed when a projectile struck the tanker MKD VYOM off Oman while the crew member was working in the engine room. Four additional seafarers were injured in a separate strike on the tanker Skylight in the same region.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the attacks, stating that no assault on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping can ever be justified. He urged companies to exercise maximum caution and advised vessels to avoid transiting the affected region where possible until conditions stabilize.

The Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints — has become a focal point of concern. Although no formal closure has been declared, vessels have reportedly received radio warnings stating that transit is prohibited. More than 200 ships are currently anchored in or around the area as operators weigh their options.

The International Chamber of Shipping, European Shipowners, and the Asian Shipowners Association issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the loss of life and the mounting risks facing crews. They emphasized that seafarers, who have no role in political disputes, must be protected and shielded from the fallout of regional instability.

Germany’s Association of Shipowners reported that dozens of German-linked vessels remain in Gulf waters, including cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers. Shipping companies are holding crisis meetings and, where possible, diverting ships via longer routes such as the Cape of Good Hope instead of transiting through the Suez Canal.

Labor groups have taken an even firmer stance. The International Transport Workers’ Federation argued that transport workers across the region — at sea, in ports, and at airports — must be protected from military action. The federation said seafarers should have the right to refuse to sail into what it considers an emerging “Warlike Operations Area,” without fear of discipline or loss of pay.

Nautilus International echoed those concerns, stressing that seafarers are not expendable and must not be treated as collateral damage. The union called for full transparency about risks, guaranteed repatriation rights for crews declining to enter high-risk zones, and safeguards against financial penalties tied to safety-based decisions.

Port workers are also facing increased exposure. The International Association of Ports and Harbors warned that dockworkers are operating under growing threat both inside and outside port gates. The organization has convened emergency discussions to share risk mitigation strategies and strengthen protections.

The ripple effects extend beyond maritime operations. Airport workers across the region have also been killed or injured amid the unrest, underscoring how deeply the crisis is affecting the broader transport sector.

Beyond the human toll, the disruption carries serious implications for global supply chains. The Middle East sits at the crossroads of key trade lanes, and diversions or suspended services inevitably lengthen transit times, alter network rotations, and trigger knock-on delays across interconnected markets.

For the maritime industry, the situation represents a defining moment. While geopolitical tensions remain outside its control, industry leaders are unified on one point: civilian maritime and transport workers must not become casualties of conflicts they did nothing to create.