6,000 Seafarers Remain Trapped on 500 Gulf Vessels as Iran War Cuts Traffic 90%
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Aug 9
6,000 Seafarers Remain Trapped on 500 Gulf Vessels as Iran War Cuts Traffic 90%
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Aug 9
Summary
6,000 seafarers are still stuck on about 500 vessels in the Gulf, with the IMO saying crews remain unable to leave as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz continues.
A projectile strike on the Minoan Pioneer near Oman left one engineer missing after a fire and blackout, while two tankers reported near-misses in the previous 24 hours.
Iran has effectively blockaded the waterway since February, and April’s ceasefire plus a June Washington-Tehran peace deal both collapsed soon after being announced.
Only 84 vessels transited the strait in the week to Aug. 2—just over 10% of the prewar average 700—leaving 70 mainstream oil and gas tankers stranded and 65 more trapped after a brief exit window.
Seventeen seafarers have been killed since the war began, and shipping groups warn prolonged danger and confinement could deter crews from a sector that carries 90% of global goods.