Seafarers face growing dangers in blocked Strait of Hormuz

Seafarers are refusing to navigate the Strait of Hormuz due to severe safety risks, Euronews reported. Maritime traffic through the critical waterway has fallen 90 percent since war began, and at least 95 commercial seafarers have died. One vessel, the 314-metre Bahamian-flagged liquefied natural gas carrier Al Ruwais, has remained anchored off the coast of Pakistan for weeks because its 34-member crew refuses to attempt the crossing despite pressure from ship owners. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, around 6,000 sailors have been stranded near the waterway, where 24 commercial vessels faced attacks over a two-week period. Iran has previously accused the United States military of using radio channels to threaten civilian crews, while simultaneously offering to reopen the passage if ceasefire conditions were accepted. [4]

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched air strikes against Iran. In response, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps issued warnings prohibiting passage, attacked and boarded merchant vessels, and laid sea mines. The United States also blockaded Iranian ports between April and May 2026. [3]

The blockade impacts global energy supply chains significantly. Before the conflict began, approximately 25 percent of the world seaborne oil trade and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. [3]