(LifeSiteNews) — As the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Iran war continues to endanger innocent lives, sailors navigating the Strait of Hormuz have faced increasingly volatile and dangerous conditions in recent months.

Catholic maritime leaders, such as those associated with the Apostleship of the Sea, have emphasized the increasingly dangerous conditions of innocent sailors passing through the region. The Apostleship of the Sea is a Catholic organization that provides for the specific pastoral needs of mariners, including the administration of the sacraments.

Bishop Luis Quinteiro, president of the Apostleship of the Sea, recently discussed this unsettling situation in an interview with ACI Prensa.

“We are facing a truly dramatic situation for everyone, but especially for the sailors and their families,” Quinteiro said.

“Imagine being on a ship watching missiles or instruments of destruction fly by. How might a person feel in the midst of that? Absolutely shaken. Life is measured in seconds.”

This message was echoed in a Facebook post by the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America, which emphasized the sailors’ innocence and framed their work as driven by the need to support their families while sustaining the global economy.

“These are civilian men and women who are not part of the conflict, yet through their daily work they sustain families, support global trade, and serve the common good,” the Apostleship wrote. “Despite this, many now find themselves operating in conditions of heightened tension, facing fear, uncertainty, and real danger.”

The Iran conflict has significantly strained the global economy, particularly through military activity in the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, many countries are facing increasingly scarce resources, including oil and even food supplies.

A recent expert analysis suggested that strained access to fertilizer in the region could drive food prices up by as much as 30 percent, placing millions at increased risk of hunger.

“Ninety percent of world trade is carried out by sea, but unfortunately, we forget about the seafarers,” Bishop Quinteiro noted. “They cannot be repatriated. They are trapped. That is the word: completely trapped.”

Bishop Quinteiro urged the Apostleship family to pray for the safe return of all sailors stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We invite the entire Apostleship of the Sea family to pray, for those in high-risk areas, for their safety and protection from harm, and for the families who wait at home with concern,” the bishop said.