Merchant Mariners: Unseen in Peacetime and Forgotten in Conflict

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) attempted to evacuate seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf due to the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, but operations halted after a projectile attacked the cargo ship Ever Lovely. The U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports, leaving 6,000 sailors stranded and resulting in 14 seafarer deaths and over 40 vessel attacks. Modern tracking systems like AIS and LRIT complicate merchant ships' neutrality in naval conflicts.