Thousands of sailors remain stranded near the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating attacks on commercial ships, the United Nations' top maritime official warned Sunday after Iran accused the U.S.military of using an international emergency radio channel to threaten civilian crews.The warning also came amid reports that 24 ships had been attacked on the waterway over roughly two weeks, underscoring growing concerns about maritime safety in the region, according to Financial Times."The situation continues to be severe and critical when it comes to international shipping," International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told Fox News Digital."There is a double blockade and too many vessels have been attacked, particularly in recent days.'VAST MAJORITY' OF IRAN'S ATTEMPTED ATTACKS ON STRAIT OF HORMUZ ARE UNSUCCESSFUL, CENTCOM SPOKESMAN SAYS24 ships have been attacked on the waterway over roughly two weeks, according to reports.
(Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Getty Images)"Seafarers have continued to perish in these attacks and around 6,000 seafarers remain trapped since the beginning of the conflict," he warned, adding that his message was not to transit the Strait of Hormuz or put seafarers at risk "until we have guarantees."Dominguez's warning followed an Oct.9 letter to the IMO in which Iran alleged that the U.S.
military used VHF Channel 16, an internationally designated maritime distress and safety channel, to intimidate Iranian crews in the Persian Gulf."VHF Channel 16 has been repeatedly occupied for prolonged periods by the United States military forces operating in the Persian Gulf," the letter stated.TRUMP OPENS HORMUZ UNDER FIRE WITH ‘PROJECT FREEDOM’ AS IRAN WARNS OF ATTACKSSmoke column rises from tanker El Gaia after incident in the Strait of Hormuz."During such transmissions, Iranian seafarers have been addressed in Persian with threatening, abusive and provocative language and in certain instances urged to abandon their ve...