(SeaPRwire) – By: Douglas Vance
The deliberate targeting of Iranian search-and-rescue vessels is a dangerous break from longstanding maritime norms. Iran’s deputy UN envoy Gholamhossein Darzi filed a formal accusation this Friday. The strikes hit the Naji-15 and Naji-16 off Hormozgan Province in the early hours of Thursday. Darzi cited Press TV in his formal statement. He noted the boats were operating exclusively in search-and-rescue roles, with no reported casualties, and sustained significant damage. Darzi framed the attack as a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the international law of the sea. He added that the vessels’ sole mission is to save the lives of persons in distress at sea, regardless of the affiliation of those in distress. Targeting such craft, he said, amounts to a war crime.
This incident unfolds against a months-long standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a critical global shipping chokepoint, but that context is often overlooked in daily headlines. The US has maintained a formal blockade of Iranian ports. US Central Command confirmed its forces have targeted Iranian maritime capabilities. This includes missile and drone storage facilities and coastal targets. The goal is to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian and commercial vessels. Tehran has countered that all vessels passing through the strait must abide by its local regulations. Two conflicting accounts emerged last Saturday over the pause in US nightly strikes. The strikes had lasted nearly two weeks before the pause. Axios reported the pause was to create diplomatic space. The New York Times cited depleted Pentagon air defense missile stockpiles as the cause.
Iran also noted these rescue vessels have been targeted repeatedly since the US-Israeli operation against Iran began on February 28. An earlier March strike hit Iran’s only sea ambulance serving Hormuz Island and Bandar Abbas. That strike also caused no casualties, according to Iranian media reports. Every attack on a life-saving maritime asset erodes trust in the strait’s already fragile shipping lanes. Commercial shippers already face heightened risks in the region, with pirate attacks and geopolitical tensions already raising freight costs. The next escalation could target commercial vessels, triggering widespread global oil supply disruptions. There is no clear diplomatic off-ramp for either side right now, as both have staked out uncompromising positions on port access and strait transit rules.
Author bio: Douglas Vance, a maritime defense scholar and naval intelligence briefing coordinator focused on global chokepoint security and regional naval posturing.