The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will hold a council meeting in London from March 18 to March 20 to examine the impact of security developments in the Middle East on international shipping and seafarers, as concern grows over attacks on merchant vessels in the region.

The meeting was called following requests from several member states of the 40-country council, amid rising concern in the maritime community over incidents involving merchant ships in the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman and the wider Gulf region.

According to the organisation, the main focus will be the security situation in navigation, the risks facing crews and the need for coordinated action to protect merchant vessels operating in those waters.

Maritime safety has returned to the forefront of the international shipping agenda after the latest attacks on ships in the Gulf had serious consequences for seafarers.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned last week’s attacks, which left at least four seafarers dead and three seriously injured.

He had earlier held a series of contacts with shipping industry organisations and met delegations from member states to discuss developments ahead of the extraordinary council meeting.

The issue has also been raised by shipping industry representatives. Union of Greek Shipowners president Melina Travlou said shipping had repeatedly been “instrumentalised” during periods of geopolitical tension in recent years.

As she noted, something similar had happened during the war in Ukraine and is now being seen in the Middle East. She added that the global economy and the daily life of societies depend heavily on shipping, since the vast majority of goods are transported by sea.

“Ships cannot be a target. We must all protect shipping and its people,” she said.

The IMO meeting is expected to assess the latest threats and examine possible measures to strengthen navigation safety as geopolitical instability continues to affect the region’s sea lanes.