Dead or stranded: Commercial sailors suffer in the Strait of Hormuz

The U.S.-Iran deal due to be signed Friday may offer some hope for tens of thousands of commercial sailors trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, but it's unlikely to quickly end what for many has been a brutal ordeal. "It is, at best, the beginning," the International Transport Workers' Federation, a global association of transport workers' unions, said in a statement Monday. Both Iran and the U.S. have detained and attacked commercial vessels accused of transgressing regulations imposed on the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters during the 109-day war. At least 14 commercial mariners have died during the war, including three Indian nationals killed in a U.S. strike on an Iranian tanker last week. Others have been wounded, detained by military forces or stuck at sea in hellish conditions. About 600 vessels remain trapped in the Persian Gulf, according to business intelligence firm Kpler, and shipping companies expect it to take weeks — if not months — for normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to resume. The narrow strait is the only way in or out of the Gulf. Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula, in a May 17, 2026 file photo. AFP/Getty While there is cautious optimism, evacuation and repatriation of the workers on the stranded ships does not appear imminent. …