German shipowners warn Persian Gulf crews face risk of being under fire

BERLIN

The Association of German Shipowners (VDR) said on Monday it is deeply concerned about the safety of merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf amid the ongoing war in Iran.

Since the conflict began in late February, more than 2,000 merchant ships carrying around 20,000 seafarers have been stranded in the region. Among them are at least 50 vessels from 10 German shipping companies with about 1,000 crew members on board.

About 20 merchant ships have already been attacked. “There have been injuries and deaths,” VDR President Gaby Bornheim said in Hamburg.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil transport, is effectively blocked.

“Very soon after the outbreak of hostilities, the Iranian armed forces directly addressed the ships and threatened to set them on fire if they passed through the Strait of Hormuz,” Bornheim added.

VDR Executive Director Martin Kroeger said the supply situation for seafarers aboard ships in the Gulf is currently adequate. The vessels have food for about four weeks and can receive additional supplies from shore.

He warned, however, that “the risk of coming under fire is real.” Crew members cannot leave their ships, which must remain operational and continuously monitored. Much of the work is now being carried out below deck for safety.

Last year, the German merchant fleet included 1,716 ships, slightly fewer than the previous year, Bornheim said. Germany ranks seventh in the world by fleet size, behind Greece, China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Germany is second globally for container ships, ahead of China but behind Switzerland, whose ranking is due to the world’s largest shipping company, MSC, headquartered in Geneva. The VDR estimates there are 287 German shipping companies, with more than 80% owning fewer than 10 ships.