US military officials have blamed the crew and operators of the container ship CMA CGM San Antonio for failing to follow Project Freedom coordination procedures before the vessel was struck by a missile in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Malta-flagged container ship came under attack during a nighttime transit near Oman on 6 May. US officials told media outlets that the vessel was likely hit by an Iranian land-attack cruise missile.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed that eight crew members were injured in the strike. Earlier reports said several of the injured seafarers were Filipino nationals. CMA CGM later confirmed that the wounded crew members were evacuated for medical treatment. No fatalities have been reported.
The incident appears to be the largest number of seafarer injuries reported in a single shipping attack since the current Hormuz conflict began earlier this year.
According to a New York Times report, a US military official accused the vessel of not complying with Project Freedom “check-in” procedures before entering the strait. The official also pointed out that the crew sought assistance from Oman after the strike instead of contacting US naval forces.
French shipping giant CMA CGM rejected the accusation. The company stated that the ship’s transit “was carried out as part of” Project Freedom. It added that the voyage was done “in coordination” with the U.S. Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping and “in strict accordance with the required guidelines and procedures.”
Jacqueline Smith, a maritime coordinator at the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), said the San Antonio should not have attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz due to the risks faced by its crew. She stated that the union’s position is that “no seafarer, no vessel, should be asked to transit the Strait of Hormuz without a full guarantee of safety.”
The strike on CMA CGM San Antonio quickly became one of the most serious incidents linked to the operation and renewed fears among shipowners and crews operating in the region.
The IMO stated that since the beginning of the war, 32 ships have come under attack, with 10 seafarers killed as a result.
