The Broken System That Keeps Shipping Crews Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz

More seafarers are being stranded on abandoned or damaged ships near the Strait of Hormuz as regional conflict intensifies.

The ITF says 2025 is already a record year for ship abandonment, with hundreds of cases and thousands of affected crew, many in the Middle East.

Workers on vessels such as Mahakal face danger, isolation, unpaid wages, and stalled communications when ship owners stop responding.

The crisis exposes serious gaps in maritime accountability, repatriation, and crew protection in a volatile war-risk area.