The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) joins the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in calling for an immediate ceasefire, full de-escalation by all parties and the urgent initiation of diplomacy grounded in international law.
The ITF strongly condemns the illegal bombing carried out by Israel and the United States, and the subsequent retaliatory attacks launched by Iran across the region, in violation of the most fundamental rule of international law, namely the use of force. The escalating military action is not merely placing civilian lives at grave risk – it is already costing civilian lives and deepening instability globally.
Transport workers have reportedly been killed and injured following the escalation in violence, underscoring once again that working people are often the first victims of conflict. We join Educational International in deploring the attacks on the schools in Iran, which have killed at least 150 people, mainly schoolchildren, and injured around 100 others.
ITF General Sectary Stephen Cotton said: “The ITF and the entire trade union movement condemn the continued cycle of military action and retaliation pushing the region toward wider conflict, placing civilian lives at risk and threatening peace, stability and security far beyond the Middle East. Without urgent de-escalation, the consequence for working people, global trade and international security will be severe.”
The ITF fully supports the ITUC’s calls for:
- An immediate ceasefire and full de-escalation by all parties.
- Strict respect for international law and the UN Charter.
- A renewed commitment to nuclear disarmament and regional security arrangements based on dialogue.
- Full respect for freedom of expression, freedom of association and democratic rights across the region.
Transport workers on the frontline of escalation
Reports indicate that a number of transport workers have been killed or injured across attacks on ships, airports and ports. The ITF and its affiliate unions in the region are working around the clock to verify the safety and security of the transport workers they collectively represent.
There have been attacks on three tankers; strikes on Bahrain International Airport, Dubai International Airport, and Zayed International Airport; along with attacks on Jebel Ali Port, in the United Arab Emirates, and in Duqm Port, in Oman.
One seafarer has been confirmed killed after a projectile hit the tanker, MKD VYOM (IMO: 9284386) off the coast of Oman. The seafarer was working in the Marshall Islands-flagged ship’s engine room at the time. Reports also suggest that four seafarers were injured when a sanctioned Palau-flagged tanker, Skylight (IMO: 9396737), was also hit off the coast of Oman on Sunday.
Four airport staff were injured at Dubai International Airport, one person was killed with seven injured at Zayed International Airport, and minor injuries were suffered at Kuwait International Airport. A worker is also reported to have been injured in a drone attack on Duqm Port, Oman.
Iran has not formally announced that it is closing the Straits of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil export route, connecting Gulf oil exporters with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. But a European Union naval mission official confirmed to media on Saturday that ships have received transmissions from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stating that: “No ship is allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz.”
More than 200 ships are currently at anchor around the Strait, while the International Maritime Organization is urging “all shipping companies to exercise maximum caution” and warning that, “where possible, vessels should avoid transiting the affected region until conditions improve”.
Cotton said: “All transport workers in the region – whether at airports, in ports, on ships or in any other transport role – must be protected from military action. They are innocent bystanders to this conflict, they must never be targeted, and they must be removed from harm’s way.
“Seafarers on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, or on ships planning to go near the Strait, must be protected by being granted the right to refuse to sail in what the ITF believes is clearly becoming a ‘Warlike Operations Area’. The ITF is engaging with our maritime industry partners to ensure that seafarers are given the information and protections they urgently need, including their right to avoid the area.”
International law and diplomacy must prevail
The ITF firmly endorses the ITUC’s call for strict respect for international law and urgent diplomatic engagement under United Nations leadership, and a recommitment to dialogue, disarmament and collective security arrangements capable of delivering lasting regional peace.
The illegal use of military force and violation of state sovereignty – concerns strongly echoed by the Arab Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) – risks dismantling the international legal framework that is designed to protect civilian populations. The ITF is also deeply concerned that support expressed by some governments – including the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada – for military operations that violate international law undermines the credibility of the rules-based international systems and weakens efforts to uphold peace.
“What we are witnessing is an appallingly reckless escalation that is pushing the region toward a devastating war,” said Paddy Crumlin, President of the ITF. “Violations of state sovereignty and the continued resort to military force are leading to innocent civilians and workers paying the price for political failure.
More bombs and retaliation will not deliver peace, democracy or security – they will only deepen instability and human suffering.
“The ITF stands in solidarity with workers across the region who are calling for peace, safety and a future free from violence, war and occupation. We also stand with the people and workers of Iran in their struggle for democracy, rights and dignity – for a future that must be shaped by workers themselves, not imposed through violence or military action.”
Photo credit: REUTERS
