The Daily - Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz

Episode Date: May 29, 2026

While the United States and Iran have each signaled that they may be making progress toward a peace deal, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Thousands of crew members have been stranded in the shipping channel since the war broke out three months ago. Two seafarers who got stuck in the strait explain what it is like to be trapped in a war zone, and what it would mean to get everyone out. Guest: Capt. Virendra Vishwakarma, who managed to leave the Strait of Hormuz, and Aung Thu Khant, a seafarer who is still stuck. Background reading:  Read the latest updates on the war in Iran. Thousands of civilian sailors have been stranded in waters surrounded by a conflict zone because of the war. Photo: Reuters For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the New York Times, I'm Natalie Ketrow-F. This is the Daily. The U.S. and Iran are each signaling that they may be making progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but they haven't reached a deal yet, and the crucial shipping channel remains shut. Hanging in the balance are thousands of crew members who have been stranded on their ships

since the fighting started three months ago. Today, we hear from two seafarers who got stuck about what it's like to be trapped in the middle of this war zone and what it would mean to get everyone out. It's Friday, May 29th. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you. I can hear you. I didn't hear. Okay, great. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us.

Yeah, no problem, man. So just to start, can you introduce yourself, please? Yeah, my name is Captain Virenda Vichu Kama. I'm sailing on LPG tankers since last five years. And before I was captain on oil chemical ships, I started my career in 2000. So now it's already 26 years in the shipping. Captain Vishwakarma has sailed through the Strait of Hormuz dozens of times.

But before the war began, he said the wider world didn't know much about it. It's a relatively small body of water that's basically the doorway to the Persian Gulf. At its narrowest point, it's only about 21 miles wide. But in that sliver of ocean, there's a bustling waterway. The street is one of the world's most critical energy corridors. It's responsible for 20% of the world's oil and natural gas supply. More than 100 ships pass through it every day. We have container ships, we have cargo ships, we have crude oil, we have vegetables, oil ships.

We have chemical tankers. Then all the ships are carrying different things. We are taking the gas. We are taking the patrols. We are taking the gasoline. And they are taking from one place to another place and giving to the world. Captain Vishwakarma's ship is an LPG tanker. That's liquefied petroleum gas.

His ship takes it back to India where people use the butane and propane for heating, cooking, and fuel for cars. He says he loves the work. Yeah, because it's a good job. And a prestigious job. Plus, we can move the world economy. The idea is basically that you're keeping the world economy moving. That's what you mean by that.

Yeah, that is right. Suppose if you buy a Christmas gift from China, it should reach to the New York on 24th of December. So our job is to make sure that it will reach on 24th of December, not 25th or 26th. Mm-hmm. So our importance in the world economies, if the seafarer will not take, then the whole world will be stopped. So a few months back, on February 28th, it was just another day at work. His ship had made it to the port of Kuwait, and his crew had started loading the butane and propane onto the ship. So at 1700 hours, I heard a sound.

And that's where he was when the war started. Like boom. I thought maybe the crew has banging the door. But again, I hear the same thing. So I thought it could not be possible. So I went on the bridge. Bridge is the part of the ship where we navigate the ship. All the navigation equipment, all the parts are there on the bridge where we navigate.

So I run on the bridge. I saw all the missiles continuously. And the U.S. base is intercepting the drones and the missiles. Whoa, you could see missiles from the bridge where you were Yes, yes, yes. Then their debris are falling near to our vessels and the vibration was very high. All my crew were panicked then after seeing that. And I was shivering, I was shivering and I was in the shock what to do.

Captain, did you know what was happening? Like, did you have any idea what was going on at this point? No, when the day started, we are too less. Why it is happening? What is the reason behind that? Where it is coming and where it is going? We don't know, actually. Wow.

So after that, I informed my company. And the big bosses from the company, they said that if you captain feel unsafe, you take out the vessel. We are with you. Captain Vishuqarma wanted to get his crew out of there, and he wanted to stop loading the fuel onto the ship. Because if they got hit,

the cargo could turn his ship into a massive bomb. We have almost 6,000,000, 7,000 of metric, 10 of prop and butane wheel onboard ship. So if support something is fall on our ship, it will be a bigger disaster. Wow. I mean, you were literally worried, it sounds like, at this point, that your ship could blow up. Yeah. But when he told the terminal authorities that he wasn't going to keep loading, they pushed back. Can you take the cargo?

They wanted him to take the cargo. See, if something happened, then it will wipe out the filter. terminal and everything. Meanwhile, every 10 minutes, 10 drones, 10 missiles, they're firing. He said the drones and the missiles kept coming. Bigger than what happened in before. So he eventually finished loading the cargo. It took hours. And then got out.

And then after that, we have out from that place. We go with a maximum speed. And on the way, our GPS was not working. There was no GPS signal. There was nothing. We did our navigation. totally on the basic what we learn in our college. Then we dropped anchor near Abu Musa Island.

Near Dubai. Near Dubai. He anchored at the edge of the street. And as the days passed, the attacks kept coming. Captain Vishwakarma said his crew watched as rockets hit an island about 10 miles away. It was engulfed in flames. We are seeing the flames. We are saying the smokes.

So we are just thinking, if, They miss anything. It will be fire two hours also. The constant noise and vibrations were stressful. Captain Vishuqqqqa couldn't sleep. He said his crew was having panic attacks, worried one of those missiles could hit the ship. And they were turning to him for answers.

If they feel unsafe, they call me captains what to do. But we cannot do much about that. Hmm. And were you in touch with any other captains? Did you know how they were dealing with this? So every day we are talking to each other. Every day we share our feelings. What are the things happening in your company and what is your crew saying?

So that we feel safe. Like we have one captain on another ship and he's a 56 years old captain. And every day he is calling me, Captain, what is your company is doing? Because my company is a little bit established company. And his company is not that much established. So he asked me every day, Captain, what your company is saying when you are going to cross? It sounds like he was trying to get some advice from you, like some guidance about what to do in this scenario. Right, right, right.

Because nobody is expected this thing will be happened. But after maybe 10 days, 15 days, our hope was like gone that we are stranded and nobody will go in to help. Did you feel as though, I mean, and it sounds like you were very much out there on your own? alone? Yeah, that is right. That is right. Because if something happened, definitely nobody is going to help us.

And every day, my wife, my son and daughter, they called Papa, when you are coming back home. Every day they call. But I don't have answer to give. What answer to us would I give? How old are your children? What did it feel like to not be able to tell them Papa's coming home soon.

My son is 10 years old and my daughter is 12 years old. Then, yeah, I feel very bad about that, but what to do? We cannot go out from there. We are in the, you can say that, in a jail. You felt like you were in a jail, like you were imprisoned. Yeah, yeah, that is right. But I said, okay, I will come back safely, don't worry. Every day I have to give this hopes to my family.

Captain Vishwakarma was at a loss. He couldn't leave. He'd heard of the Iranian Navy firing on ships that tried. And plus, he'd heard reports that there were mines in the water. He didn't know how to safely navigate out. But then the Indian Navy got in touch with Captain Vishwal karma. They said, wait for our call. We'll tell you precisely how to leave.

He waited anxiously for days. And then on March 23rd... call from the naval command. He got the call. It's not clear how a deal was made, but as so many other ships sat stranded, Captain Vishuqqqqa was given a secret route, one he says he couldn't share with anyone. I said, I'm ready, give me the plan, where to pass, and what has the route to we follow? Where to go and where not to go.

Are you nervous, Captain? I mean, I have to ask because we've heard about mines in the strait. We've heard about your experience with missiles. I mean, are you worried? Yeah, definitely. We are worried. We have got a chance of 90% you will die and 10% chance you will alive. You thought there was a 90% chance you would die? Yeah, and 10% maybe will pass.

Wow. So I decided, okay, we'll take the 10% chance and we'll get out from this space. He followed the coordinates to a spot near Oman when he saw the Indian Navy, which had come to escort them out. When the Indian Navy came near to us, we are very happy. our crew and everybody was very happy. Everybody was shouting Indian Navy, giving the slogans to the Indian Navy. Yes, we are safely came out.

They were very, very happy. There was a lot of joy. Including me also. Yeah, including me also. Finally out. Were you shouting too? Were you cheering? Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Yes, yes. Definitely. Then our crew and everybody was coming and they are congratulating me. Captain, you have done good job. You have taken us safely. I said, see, this is my duty. I have done it, which is part of my job. So we have came out safely and we were very happy and we were really proud that, okay,

Indian government has done something else to take out from that place. We are finally passed and we are now safe. And I was very happy when this, I saw my family. And my son is dancing when he saw me. And okay, Papa has came, and my daughter came and just hug me tightly. Papa and my wife, too. Same thing. Captain Fishwakarma's story is rare.

Only a small number of ships have made it out of the street since the war began. About 1,500 ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf, with about 20,000 seafarers on board them. And even though much of the bombing has subsided after the ceasefire, new dangers have emerged. Maritime unions have received hundreds of distress calls from ships who say they're running out of provisions like food, medicine, and water. Captain Vishwal Karma worries a lot about that and about the fate of the thousands of seafarers that are still stranded. Captain, a final question. There are still many, many seafarers who are still. stranded in the Strait of Hormuz. What do you want the people who are listening to this interview to know on behalf of these crews?

Yeah, on the behalf of all seafarer, the fear which we felt in last 25 days, they are also feeling the same thing. And they are more than a month. I don't think they have food or maybe water. I don't know how they are surviving on there. So you're worried about them. Yeah. Maybe they don't have foods. They don't have water to drink.

You can imagine the scenario. I don't know how they are surviving. After the break, we hear from one of those seafarers who's still stranded. We'll be right back. Hi. Hi, hello. Can you see me? Hello. Yes, I can see you.

So where are you right now? This is my room. Can I see it? Of course. This is my bed and this is my living room. Okay. You have a couch? You have a desk? Yeah.

What are the pictures that you have on your wall? This is the sailing vessel. We are taken from the calendar, you know, the calendar picture. Do you have a window? Yeah, of course. Oh, wow, so you can see outside. Yeah, it can see outside. We can see the water, the sea.

Now we are drifting near Abu Dhabi. Uh-huh. The Homo Strait, it's about 150 nautical mines far away. Everybody's stuck in here. All ships are waiting in the Pacheng Gulf. The Persian Gulf has been the view outside Aung-Tu Kans' window for more than three months. He's far from home. He's from Myanmar.

And his ship was delivering cars to the Gulf when the war first broke out. My job on ship is I'm a safety officer to all crew. Okay. So I have to be strong for my crew. And I have to think all the time for the safety and also my safety. That sounds like a big responsibility in this moment. Yes. So that's why we are staying inside the ship, not going outside.

because some drones may be folded down to our ship. He's constantly worried that the temporary ceasefire will break down and that the missile strikes could start again. So as the safety officer, he's checking the news a lot. But the news can be confusing. So a more direct way to understand what's happening around him is by listening to the transmissions coming in over the ship's radio. We open the radio all the time.

Which he does every day. Every day. Attention all ships, attention all ships, attention all ships. This is the Sepahevi. He's listened in as the Iranian military has issued warnings. Warning to all ships. Do not approach the straight of hermos without permission. Some of the calls he's heard have been disturbing.

One ship, they start jailing at that Iranian Navy. We want to go out, open the hormones. They talk about that. They were screaming and begging to be let out. Yes. Stepan Navy, you gave me clearance to go. He's heard crews from multiple ships who have pleaded to leave. You are running into danger.

We may open fire on you. Establish communication. Over? One month ago, some of the ships going through the street of home moves. Yeah. They shot. And he's heard ships being fired at for trying to leave. Oh my God.

You could hear the gunshots on the radio. Yes. Yes. He's also heard a different kind of call for help. Other ships also, they are now running out of food and also they need assistance. We do not have provisions nor drinking water since the last four days. And we have two crew on board who's very critical and need medical assistance. Some ships are reporting that they're running out of food. Any ship nearby opposition we request.

to provide us provision and water, and we have a crew on board for medical assistance. Please, save our lives. Please, save our lives. We are seeming. We do not take your countries. We're not taking your passion. Over. What does it feel like when you hear stuff like that?

How does that affect you? When I heard that the talking like that, I think, I feel very sorry because we cannot afford to go to that ship. We cannot help. Mm-hmm. It sounds like you felt a little bit powerless in that moment. Yes, yes, correct.

Correct, correct. Aung says his ship is doing okay for now. They were running out of some food, but they managed to resupply at a nearby anchorage in the Gulf. But the daily stress of being stranded in a war zone has been taking a toll. It's like house arrest. He says everyone on the ship is on edge.

You know, sometimes we are angry. Yeah. Mentally, it's a little bit aggressive. Because we talk all the time, but sometimes we are a little bit arguing. You can see that they get angry more easily? Yes, including me. Including you? Yeah, because.

I feel like my mind is stuck, you know. And I'm worried about my life and my crew, my ship. I also want to go out. We want to be free. Not only me, all the crew and all other ships also, they feel like that, I think. But we cannot get out. So in our mind is hopeless now. So as Aung waits in this situation he can't control, he's trying to find small ways to cope.

Sometimes before bed, he reads a book on positive thinking. That's what name is, you're special? You're special? Yeah, your special. And he's giving himself pep talks, telling himself not to give up. All the time, I'm talking to myself, okay, one day I'm going out at the harbor street. One day, one day, one day, one day I'm going out. I'm going out almost one day.

And he's doing the same with the crew. I talked to them. It's going to be okay. We were going out one day. Don't worry. It's going to be fine. It's going to be okay. They're all doing their best to try to distract themselves.

They play the basketball. We play the basketball in the cargo hold. Sometimes they've played basketball in the empty cargo hold where the cars used to be. Sometimes we celebrate the... When it's a crew member's birthday, do you have cake? We do. They make a cake.

It's mostly chocolate because they like chocolate. We celebrate and then we forgot where we are and then the time is very, very nice. And sometimes they sing. My crews are Filipino. So we sing together because my hobby is singing and listening to the music. Yeah, that's my hobby. What do you like to sing? My favorite song.

In this moment, is the home. Do you know home? The song named Home? Is it called Home? Like... Yes. Home. Yes. I don't know that song. Yeah.

Can you sing it for me, the song, just a little bit so I can hear it? Oh, my God. Please. Yeah, I'm sure. I'm so sure. Okay. Okay, I try. Another summer day has come and gone away. Barry some wrong.

I just want to go home. Maybe surrounded by a million people I travel alone. But I want to go home. I miss you, you know. That's beautiful. Thank you. And when you think of your home, what do you think of? What comes to your mind?

It was my mom and my dad. And then they also worry about me. So they also see the news every day. My mom, it's everyday worship for me. She's praying for you. Yes. Yes, she's praying for me every day. So that's why I want to go through that home of safety. Yeah. Well, I hope you get home really soon. Thank you so much. I wish.

Since the beginning of the war in Iran, the UN says that at least 39 commercial vessels in the region have been hit by the ongoing attacks. or in some cases would appear to be targeted strikes. At least 11 seafarers and one shipyard worker have been killed, with several others injured and missing. We'll be right back. Here's what else you need to know today. Israel widened its offensive in Lebanon on Thursday, striking the capital, Beirut, for the first time in nearly a month.

The Israeli military said that it had struck more than 135, targets that belonged to Hezbollah in a 24-hour period, and Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The escalating conflict there threatens to further destabilize the talks to end the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. Iran has insisted that any peace deal include Lebanon. And, Anthropic, once a lesser-known artificial intelligence company, punctuated its stunning rise with eye-popping news on Thursday.

It said it had reached a valuation of $900 billion after its latest funding round, overtaking OpenAI to become the most valuable AI startup in the world. It took roughly a decade for OpenAI to hit its most recent valuation of $730 billion. Anthropics surpass that in half the time. Today's episode was produced by Caitlin O'Keefe and Linan. Lindsay Garrison. It was edited by M.J. Davis Lynn. Fact-checked by Susan Lee and Will Paisal. And contains music by Marion Lazzano, Dan Powell, and Pat McCuster.

Original music by Alicia E.2. Our theme music is by Wonderly. This episode was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Special thanks to David Badi, Peter Evis, Christiane-Treebert, and Jenny Gross, as well as Jatzen-Dua and Christy-Peterson-Reed. from the University of Michigan. The Daily Studio Support team is Maddie Masiello, Nick Pittman, Kyle Grandillo, Afim Shapiro, and Samantha Winter. Our radio team is Jody Becker,

Rowan Nemistow, Diane Wong, and Catherine Anderson. Alexandra Lee Young is our deputy executive producer. Michael Benoit is our deputy editor. Paige Cowett is the editor of the Daily. Ben Calhoun is our executive producer. Special thanks to Paula Schumman, Larissa Anderson, Sam Dolnik,

and to the founding editor of the show, Lisa Tobin. That's it for the daily. I'm Natalie Ketrowek. See you on Sunday.