Kamal Ghorui
Countries like Iran, Ukraine, and the US have started attacking cargo ships during conflicts. This is dangerous for the whole world.
In the first two weeks of the Iran war, 16 cargo ships were hit. After that, hundreds of other ships stopped moving and stayed in the Gulf because they were scared of being attacked. Because of this, important things like oil, gas, fertiliser, aluminium, and even helium became harder to find.
In another part of the world, Ukraine has attacked Russia’s oil systems, like ports and pipelines. This has reduced the amount of oil Russia sends out every day. Europe has also stopped some Russian oil ships. These actions may make sense during war, but they hurt people everywhere by making things more expensive and harder to get.
There is an important rule: cargo ships that are not part of the military should not be attacked. This is because ships carry most of the world’s goods. About 80% of global trade travels by sea. So, even a few attacks can stop entire shipping routes.
We have already seen this happen. In the Red Sea, attacks on ships forced companies to take longer routes. Even after two years, things have not gone back to normal, and shipping costs are still higher.
In the past, during World War II, many ships were destroyed. Britain lost over 2,400 ships, the US lost more than 1,700, and Japan lost more than 2,300. By the end of the war, Japan had almost no large ships left.
Today, it is even easier to damage ships because cheap drones can be used. This makes the situation more dangerous.
Because of this, countries need to agree on rules to protect cargo ships. Big countries like the US are usually expected to lead, but their recent actions have made this harder. So, other countries—especially developing ones that suffer the most when prices rise—should speak up to protect global trade.
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