The deaths of 25 seafarers in attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began have prompted shipping operators to rethink how they protect their crews and has renewed attention on sailors' legal right to refuse to go to conflict zones. Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, called for greater protection for seafarers, regardless of their nationality, following the attack on the MT Velos Sapphire on November 5.