More than 40 Iranian merchant seafarers have been killed during the ongoing US-Israeli war, according to a statement from the head of the Iranian Merchant Mariners Syndicate. The union leader directly attributed the deaths to attacks by US and Israeli forces on Iran's ports and commercial fleet, including targeted strikes on vessels and harbor infrastructure.
"The attacks have been relentless, targeting not only military assets but also our civilian maritime operations, leaving families devastated," the syndicate head said in a press release. The union has called for international investigations into the incidents and urged global maritime bodies to condemn the violence.
Details of specific attacks or dates were not immediately available, but the syndicate emphasized that the death toll continues to rise as hostilities persist. The claims could not be independently verified at this time.