Around 20,000 sailors are stranded in the Persian Gulf as hundreds of oil, gas, and cargo ships remain unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz due to a US blockade and ongoing security risks. The standoff has persisted for nearly eight weeks, leaving crews such as that of Indian captain Rahul Dhar confined to their tankers while maintaining operations under growing psychological strain.

The sailors had hoped for relief after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 7, but the conflict has yet to reach a clear resolution. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, normally handling about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, only about 80 ships crossed the strait between April 13 and 19, compared with more than 130 per day before the conflict, underscoring the severe slowdown in maritime traffic.