The World Shipping Council (WSC) has warned that nearly 20,000 seafarers are facing a "dangerous and highly uncertain" security environment in the Middle East, after a series of attacks on commercial vessels — including a container ship struck overnight — underscored the growing risks to crews operating in the region.

WSC President and CEO Joe Kramek said several seafarers have already been killed in the conflict and stressed that "these are men and women who are simply doing their jobs at sea," calling for urgent action to protect crews and uphold freedom of navigation.

"Several seafarers have already lost their lives. Seafarers are not part of this conflict, yet they are increasingly caught in its path. These are men and women who are simply doing their jobs at sea," Kramek said.

"We share the IMO Secretary-General’s call for urgent action to ensure the protection of seafarers and respect for freedom of navigation – seafarers must not be targets."

"Our thoughts are with the seafarers who have lost their lives, their families, and the crews still operating in the region under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions."

WSC added that carriers are warning that the growing risks to crews are now driving urgent operational adjustments across the region.

"The safety of crews must remain the absolute priority. Ocean carriers are closely monitoring developments and making operational decisions based on the best available information and risk assessments, including pausing or rerouting services where necessary."

"The Middle East sits at the crossroads of major global trade routes. Disruption in the region will ripple across global supply chains, with longer voyages, delays, and the rewiring of shipping networks to keep trade flowing," Kramek said.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) reported a series of new attacks on commercial vessels in the past 24 hours, noting that several of the targeted ships had no confirmed links to U.S. or Israeli ownership — a sign that strike patterns are widening beyond narrowly defined Western targets.

According to the International Maritime Organization, about 20,000 seafarers remain on vessels operating in the area, facing what the agency describes as a dangerous and highly uncertain security environment as assaults on commercial shipping continue.