A deadly attack on a cargo vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has once again brought the human cost of deteriorating maritime security in the Middle East into sharp focus. IMO renews warning over attacks on international shippingThe International Maritime Organization has repeatedly expressed concern over the exposure of civilian shipping and seafarers to escalating regional hostilities. Following renewed attacks against ships in the Red Sea in July, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez strongly condemned the violence, describing attacks on international shipping in the region as indefensible. Wider Middle East maritime risk remains elevatedThe Red Sea is not the only major shipping region facing sustained instability. As instability persists across the Red Sea and wider Middle East, protecting those crews must remain at the centre of the industry’s response.