After six weeks stranded in the Gulf, one of the estimated 20,000 seafarers caught by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz says the situation has become increasingly difficult to endure.
The oil tanker worker, who first spoke to the Guardian a month ago, described what he called an “impossible” situation. He said the strain on mental health was growing so severe that it was becoming harder to cope each day.
“You can try to minimise the impact that this situation has on your mental health but it’s becoming impossible,” he said.
The worker said the crew remains unable to leave, with the strait still considered too unsafe to cross. Even if they were ordered to sail, he said, they would not do so under the current conditions.
Hope that the crew might soon be allowed to depart has also faded. The seafarer said any expectation of a quick resolution had already disappeared, if it had ever truly existed at all.
The comments come as the fragile Middle East ceasefire continues to fray, adding to the uncertainty surrounding shipping in the region. For workers trapped offshore, the prospect of a return home remains unclear.
The Guardian has previously reported on the wider impact of the situation on maritime and port workers, with the strait continuing to pose a major safety concern for those operating in the area.
For the tanker crew, the waiting has become the hardest part. What began as a disruption has turned into an extended period of isolation, with no clear end in sight and mounting pressure on those still trapped in the Gulf.
