Merchant sailors stranded in the Persian Gulf are still waiting for rescue months after war erupted, as security threats, soaring insurance costs and geopolitical tensions continue to keep one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in limbo.
Anchored aboard a crude oil tanker, Captain Abhijit Chopra first heard about the U.S.–Iran peace deal through messages from family and friends. But any sense of relief quickly faded. Around him, vessels remained anchored, and the Strait of Hormuz showed no signs of returning to normal operations.
Chopra and his 21-member crew have been stranded since the conflict began in late February. What started as fear and uncertainty has evolved into a daily emotional struggle marked by isolation, boredom and the challenge of maintaining hope. To cope, the crew shares meals, sings old Hindi karaoke songs and creates moments of celebration, including marking the Hindu festival of Holi with turmeric from the ship’s kitchen.
Repeated reports that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen have repeatedly ended in disappointment. Fresh attacks on oil tankers have reinforced fears that their ordeal is far from over.
According to the UN’s International Maritime Organization, about 11,000 foreign seafarers became stranded in the Gulf during the conflict, with around 8,000 still awaiting safe passage. Forced to remain at sea while missiles and drones flew overhead, they have continued operating their ships despite the constant danger.
Their experience highlights the often-overlooked human cost behind global trade. While the world depends on uninterrupted shipping, it is ordinary seafarers who bear the greatest risks.
“Ultimately, we are just ordinary people. We are fathers, sons and husbands who stay at sea for months carrying out a duty,” Chopra said. “We do this because somebody has to, and the world’s goods and economies depend on seafarers.”
The global economy relies heavily on maritime transport, with oceangoing vessels moving more than 80 per cent of world trade by volume and around 70 per cent by value, according to the World Bank. More than 2.6 million seafarers operate over 85,000 merchant ships worldwide, with the Philippines and India supplying nearly one-third of the global workforce.
Although maritime workers are protected under the Maritime Labour Convention, which guarantees minimum welfare and employment standards, enforcement remains uneven across the shipping industry. Maritime welfare groups say fragmented ship ownership and complex registration systems often leave vulnerable crews without adequate protection.
Ben Bailey, Programme Director at Mission to Seafarers, said the structure of global shipping allows shipowners to operate across multiple jurisdictions, making accountability difficult.
“It is the seafarers who risk falling through the gaps and not having their rights met,” he said.
As diplomatic efforts continue and commercial shipping cautiously eyes the Strait of Hormuz, thousands of sailors remain caught between global politics and the essential work that keeps the world’s economies moving.
