Captain Raman Kapoor of an Indian-flagged merchant vessel described a harrowing ordeal after being stranded in the Strait of Hormuz [1].
The account highlights the danger facing commercial mariners when geopolitical conflicts turn critical maritime chokepoints into active combat zones.
Kapoor said his crew witnessed missiles flying overhead and explosions on nearby ships [1]. He said his crew was frightened and begged to go home as the vessel remained trapped in the Persian Gulf region [1, 2].
Reports on the duration of the stranding vary. Kapoor said he was stranded for 10 weeks [1], while other reports cite a period of over 50 days [2]. Separate reports indicate some Indian sailors were stranded for as long as 107 days [3].
These incidents are the result of escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, which have effectively closed the chokepoint to commercial transit [4, 5]. The scale of the crisis is significant, with more than 1,100 crew members stranded on Asian-flagged tankers [5].
Other data suggests the impact on Indian personnel is even broader. One report states over 500 Indian sailors were stranded for 107 days [3], while another claims more than 18,000 Indian sailors are stuck across the wider Persian Gulf region [6]. The human cost has been severe, with reports of 14 dead among the stranded mariners [6].
One unnamed Indian mariner said it feels like they are "in jail" [6].
“Capt. Raman Kapoor said his crew saw missiles flying overhead and explosions on nearby ships.”
The stranding of thousands of mariners underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to regional conflicts. Because the Strait of Hormuz is a primary artery for oil and commercial goods, the transition of the area into a conflict zone creates a humanitarian crisis for non-combatant crews who possess no means of evacuation once a chokepoint is closed.
