Kathmandu. During the six-month war between Iran, the United States and Israel, there have been 68 incidents involving merchant ships in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at least 20 sailors and port workers were killed, 35 injured and one missing.

According to the UN maritime agency, about half of the incidents involved tankers, 20 percent of container ships and 15 percent of bulk carriers. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) classifies 47 incidents as attacks. Liberian flag-laden aircraft were among the 13 involved in the incident, while 10 each were from Panama and the Marshall Islands, and four from Iran.

From the start of the war to mid-June, an average of one incident occurred every 2.3 days. During this period, 16 people were killed and 19 injured. The incidents also took place in the coastal areas of Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

As peace talks progressed, the incidence rate had dropped to one every 4.6 days by July 7. No casualties were reported during that period. But most of the incidents centered around the narrow waterway of Hormuz off the coast of Oman.

Since the end of the talks, the incidence rate has risen again to an average of one every 2.8 days. During this period, four sailors or workers died, 16 were injured and one went missing. The escalating security incidents in Hormuz, vital for global oil and gas supplies, have also increased risks to international trade and energy supplies.