It’s been nearly two months since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S.-Israeli attacks. Nathan Smith, with the International Transport Workers’ Federation, has been thinking about the sailors on board container ships and oil tankers.

He estimates there are about 20,000 seafarers stranded near Iran since the country closed the strait at the beginning of March. From his office here in Vancouver, Smith has been speaking with families who reach out trying to see if seafarers are still alive.

“They’re not part of this war,” Smith said. “They’re not soldiers, but they’re getting bombed because of it. And they’re innocent.”

At least 12 seafarers have been killed in the conflict so far in more than 35 attacks on ships or port infrastructure during the war, according to maritime news journal Lloyd’s List.

The journal’s editor-in-chief, Richard Meade, said at an intelligence briefing Thursday that Iran has fired on some ships attempting to move out of the region, while others have been able to move through the region.