Seafarers in the Gulf are rationing food and water as the conflict in the Middle East enters its third week, with approximately 20,000 sailors stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
“We don’t have enough water on board right now,” said an Indian worker aboard a refuelling boat off Iraq, identifying himself only as Pereira. “Till yesterday we had proper drinking water and fresh water for baths and stuff. But now since drinking water is over, we have contacted the owner for the drinking water and I hope they get it by today or tomorrow,” he added. “Till then, we are boiling the water for drinking.”
The crisis stems from Iranian threats to attack ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes, in response to US-Israeli strikes. The virtual paralysis of the strait has shaken global markets, raising fears of a prolonged spike in energy costs.
A ship’s captain, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported his vessel was stuck off Qatar near the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas plant, which was targeted in an Iranian attack on Wednesday and Thursday. The crew has begun rationing food and water, and 25 crew members have already left the ship, leaving 95 remaining on board. “If the port shuts down completely, then there is no possibility of getting the crew out,” he said.
The situation is compounded by reports of direct attacks on vessels. A sailor aboard the bulk carrier “Ocean Pretty,” sailing under a Barbadian flag, posted in a WeChat group that the ship was hit by gunfire and rocket launcher attacks on Thursday while attempting to pass through the strait. No crew members were injured, according to the post, but the ship is now “stuck” near the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, “waiting to be inspected.”
The United States is accelerating the deployment of thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East to bolster existing forces and secure the Strait of Hormuz. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Boxer, along with potentially two additional amphibious ships – the USS Portland and USS Comstock – are being dispatched sooner than originally scheduled. This follows the deployment of 5,000 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli. President Donald Trump has pledged not to deploy U.S. Troops to Iran or the surrounding region.
Other sailors have reported witnessing drones, cruise missiles, and fighter jets in the region. Amir, a Pakistani sailor aboard an oil tanker in the United Arab Emirates, said he has seen Iranian drones and cruise missiles flying at low altitude. Hein, a sailor from Myanmar, described skirmishes occurring while his crew was working, stating, “There’s no specific hiding place on the ship for this, and we just had to run inside.”
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