Tired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks

ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsShopInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onTired and worried, seafarers have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeksAround 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels are stuck in the Persian Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz that remains effectively shut by IranByCHAN HO-HIM Associated Press, SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press, and NINIEK KARMINI Associated PressApril 27, 2026, 12:01 AM1:19The sun rises behind tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, Saturday, April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Asghar Besharati)The Associated PressNEW DELHI -- For about eight weeks, Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his crew have been stranded on their tanker in the Persian Gulf, sometimes watching drones and missiles explode as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shut while the Iran war dragged on.The crew’s morale, he said, is holding as they carry on with their routines, but the strain is beginning to show.A shaky ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has brought “a careful sense of hope” for the crew, but there is still no clear end to the war. “Day to day, we try to keep things normal with open conversations and small team activities that help lift everyone’s spirits.” The crew sighted drones and missile interceptions several times, both near the ship and along the horizon during their watches. “Those moments were difficult and created real tension for the crew,” Dhar told The Associated Press. “None of us expected the warlike situation,” he said, noting that reliable internet has helped them stay in touch with families. “Those calls and messages really keep us grounded and give us strength.”Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers and cargo ships, have been stuck in the Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Normally about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas transits the waterway.Roughly 80 vessels passed through the strait in the week of April 13-19, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, compared to approximately 130 or more transits per day before the war. Dozens of ships have come under attack since the war started, and the U.N. says at least 10 seafarers were killed.Even as U.S. President Donald Trump last week extended the ceasefire indefinitely, the U.S. kept the blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran fired on ships in the strait and seized two.“Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, yet we are often the most affected by regional geopolitical conflicts,” said Capt. ArunKumar Rajendran, who also has been stranded with his tanker crew for around eight weeks.Manoj Kumar Yadav of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India said thousands of Indian sailors were aboard the stranded vessels, enduring days of fear and isolation as ships lay anchored near Iranian ports such as Bandar Abbas and Khorramshahr. Explosions sometimes occurred just a few hundred meters (yards) away.“They were watching blasts from their decks,” he said, adding that his union has been fielding daily distress calls from crews and their families. “Many of them were on board a ship for the first time, and you can imagine what mental state they have gone through.” India, one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime labor, has more than 20,000 nationals working on foreign-flagged ships in the region, many of them beyond the reach of…

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