Live updates: Follow the latest news on the Iran war
With more than 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, crews are facing up to the terrifying reality of daily survival.
While onboard refrigeration on the 3,200 stranded tankers maintains the integrity of most goods, replenishing supplies - particularly drinking water - is proving extremely difficult.
Deaths and injuries from Iranian attacks are one thing, but sickness and malnourishment is fast becoming an additional concern, with at least one crew member dying from a sickness that could have been treated on dry land but proved fatal during the stalemate in the strait.
One tanker captain, who recently spent almost two years abandoned at sea off the UAE coast during a shipping dispute, has again found himself trapped in a situation not of his own making.
Like the majority of crew, he has been advised not to divulge his ship’s identity, and spoke anonymously to The National.
“Missile attacks are occurring almost every day,” he said. “All vessel crews are feeling distressed and helpless onboard.
“They are extremely concerned for their safety but are remaining onboard out of fear of losing their jobs. At present, no one is willing to transit the strait under these conditions.”
Sitting ducks
Chirag Bahri, international operations manager for the International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network, said a third of all appeals for help have come from crew asking to be repatriated.
“They would like to go home from the warzone area, irrespective of the bonus and compensations - nobody wants to risk their life at all,” he said.
“They feel like sitting ducks and can be bombarded or hit with a missile anywhere, at any time.
“At the onset, crew were concerned about their company deducting wages or bonuses. Now it's only about repatriation. They just want to go home.”
International shipping was affected straight from the outset of war in Iran in late February, with four confirmed attacks on vessels on March 1 and the fatalities of at least two seafarers and one port worker.
Since March 13, attacks on merchant vessels have continued with rising seafarer fatalities and serious injuries on top of concerns about depleting resources on board.
“People are scared to raise their anchors and move around,” said Mr Bahri. “There have been casualties. There have been injuries to the seafarers, and some seafarers have died.
“I know of one chief engineer who died because he was sick on board and he could not get off the ship. It is a real challenge to replenish supplies, fresh water especially.
“There is a feeling of hopelessness. They might be able to see land somewhere, but they're not able to come down off the ship.”
Mental turmoil
Despite the obvious daily challenges, they continue to perform their duties with professionalism and resilience.
According to the latest International Transport Federation figures, 124 seafarers have requested sign off, and 62 seafarers have been repatriated. At least two seafarers have been refused repatriation by their company.
The types of container ships caught up in the backlog are limestone carrier, anchor handling tug supply ships, LPG and oil or chemical tankers, crude oil tankers, as well as general cargo ships and roro ships carrying vehicles.
Mohamed Arrachedi, the ITF flag of convenience network co-ordinator Arab World and Iran, said he is receiving more appeals for help each day.
“The most recent request was for a vessel with nine Pakistani and Indian seafarers in the UAE,” he said.
“They are asking for help because the vessel seems to be heading to Iran, so they are asking to be repatriated from the Emirates.
“It really is an extraordinary situation. The owner-manager has an obligation to arrange for repatriation.
“If they are sailing in a war area or a high-risk area, they are also entitled, if their contracts are not finished, to two months' basic pay.
“We have severe cases we are handling, mainly vessels that have been hit by missiles.”
Mr Arrachedi said he had dealt successfully with one case affecting 21 Egyptian seafarers who had been evacuated by the Omani coast guard.
Another was a crew in Iraq on one ship that had been hit in the port by a missile or a drone.
“One Indian seafarer died, the rest of the Filipino and Indian crew are now home and duly paid,” he said.
“These crew are now even more anxious, more afraid and more frightened.
“This is a war and everyone here has a role to play, starting with the ship owners and the management who have clear obligations.”
Call for support
Speaking at a recent address for the maritime industry, International Maritime Organisation Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez condemned the attacks on innocent seafarers caught up in the conflict.
“Any attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is totally unacceptable, they must not become victims of broader geopolitical tensions,” he said.
The perilous nature of the industry was brought into sharp focus in 2025, the worst year on record for abandonments.
According to global monitors Nautilus International, 6,223 crew on board 410 ships were abandoned by their shipping company, worldwide.
The number was 31 per cent up on 2024, and driven by an undercurrent of shadow fleets, with opaque ownership of vessels looking to navigate international sanctions to move contraband or illegal goods around the world.
Vessels often sail under flags of convenience, aligned to obscure nations with little oversight or regulatory scrutiny. Of those abandoned in 2025, 82 per cent operated under flags of convenience.
The majority are Indian nationals, but Filipinos, Syrians, Indonesians and Ukrainians are also the most common nationalities of crew trapped at sea.
Officials from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) met representatives from Gulf States to address the ongoing conflict and its direct impact on seafarers.
Initiatives aimed at supporting ships and crews include introducing a reporting mechanism, via the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), for ships to highlight their most immediate concerns for resupply, and recognition of seafarers as key workers to international standards.
Talks also focused on how to quickly and safely disembark seafarers from vessels for medical reasons, when necessary.
“Seafarers are on the frontline of this conflict, and right now too many are facing extremely difficult conditions,” said Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
“It is essential that they have access to food, clean water, fuel and medical care. These are not optional; they are fundamental rights.
“At the same time, no seafarer should be expected to remain in a conflict zone against their will.
“Those who want to go home must be able to do so safely and without delay, with arrangements in place to ensure safe crew changes and the continued operation of vessels.”
