Sailors Stressed and Exhausted After Months Trapped by Strait of Hormuz Blockade

For three months, Captain Hassan Khan and approximately 20,000 other sailors have been trapped in a precarious situation in or near the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has effectively halted maritime traffic in one of the world's busiest waterways, which normally transports a fifth of the globe's oil and gas.

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It is really strange that everything looks normal outside, but people inside are not calm.

Despite the apparent tranquility of the sea, the atmosphere onboard ships is fraught with tension. Sailors report constant stress and exhaustion, both physical and mental. The usual routines are disrupted, shore leaves are rare, and the silence is often broken by anxious phone calls rather than cheerful banter. The crew lives in a state of heightened alert, startled by the slightest sound.

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The stress stays in our mind all the time. Everyone is just exhausted – both physically and mentally.

Iran's closure of the strait, allowing passage only with its explicit permission, has created a bottleneck. Captain Shafiqul Islam, commanding the Bangladesh-owned ship Banglar Joyjatra, recounted two failed attempts to navigate the passage. Even after a ceasefire announcement in April, Iran initially allowed passage but quickly reversed the decision when the US maintained its port blockades. Ships like Islam's, carrying vital cargo like fertilizer, remain anchored offshore or in safer ports within the Gulf, unable to proceed.

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It is as if we are trapped in a pond. There's only one way out, and that's Hormuz.