Seafarer Dies After Attack On Greek-Owned Bulk Carrier In Strait Of Hormuz

A seafarer lost his life in an attack on a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier named Minoan Dignity on August 17, 2026, while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, though the U.S President had earlier claimed that the waterway was ‘open and operating.’

The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) expressed condolences to the seafarer’s family and loved ones and also shared its concern over the fate of thousands of seamen stuck onboard vessels in the volatile waters of Hormuz.

The association stressed that seafarers are merely civilians who have become targets or collateral victims of geopolitical conflicts and wars.

“One seafarer lost is one too many,” INTERCARGO’s statement read.

In the backdrop of these attacks, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said on Saturday that Iran’s negotiations with Oman regarding a new maritime route through Hormuz are ongoing and an agreement could be reached soon.

He explained that the earlier routes are no longer functional, hence there is a need to devise new routes which would be temporary but could be made permanent later on.

Aragchi also clarified that establishing a new route through Hormuz does not signal that the waterway would be back to normal shipping operations, which he added would depend on the United States adherence to the conditions mentioned in the MOU.

According to sources, atleast 17 seafarers have been killed in aleast 65 attacks on merchant vessels since the U.S-Iran war began in February 28, 2026, after the U.S and Israel launched attacks on the Islamic Republic.

Ship traffic through Hormuz dipped this week to just 10 crossings on Monday and two on Sunday given the repeated attacks.

U.S President Trump has said that he is not holding negotiations with Iran, and the MOU that Washington and Tehran signed on June 17 to open Hormuz expired on Monday without a permanent deal in sight.