Indian sailors fear returning after the war in the Strait of Hormuz

Indian sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Iran war fear returning to the region despite the ceasefire. Sailors who witnessed the attacks recounted their fears and livelihood concerns.

Scraper SystemJuly 01, 2026, 09:36 AM

Indian sailors fear returning after the war in the Strait of Hormuz

Indian sailors who transited the Strait of Hormuz after the war between the US and Iran are afraid to return to the region due to the attacks they experienced. India stands out as one of the countries that sends the most sailors to the world's merchant fleet.

According to data from the Indian Ministry of Shipping, more than 320,000 Indian sailors worked on global commercial ships in 2025. With the outbreak of the war, thousands of Indian sailors were forced to leave the Gulf; the ministry assisted more than 3,600 of them.

However, during the US-Iran conflict, commercial ships became targets. Some Indian sailors saw their ships attacked, and their friends killed or injured. Despite the temporary ceasefire, violence continues in the region, and transits through the Strait of Hormuz remain risky.

Escape in the Dark

Sitaram Tandel, 31, from a small fishing village in Gujarat state, experienced the danger firsthand while working on a bulk carrier flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. In March, a crew member from India died in an attack on a crude oil tanker named Safesea Vishnu, owned by the same company.

Weeks later, Tandel's own ship was also hit. "Our luck ran out," Tandel said. "It was early morning, we were preparing for the shift when we got hit." The crew escaped without physical injury, but Tandel said, "No one died, but the entire crew fell into depression. It was a life-changing experience, unimaginably frightening."

Tandel said the attack deeply shook him and that he is very afraid to return to the Gulf, but he has to support his family.

Ratheesan Kuttiyan, 45, from Kerala state, joined a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag in March and expected to leave the Gulf. "The previous crew refused the transit," Kuttiyan said. "We tried hard to pass, but the conflicts were very intense, and another ship from the company was attacked."

As the fighting eased, the crew was asked to sign a document agreeing to sail. "In the end, we passed through the danger zone in the darkness of the night," Kuttiyan said. The sailor stated he could return to the Gulf if conditions improve, adding, "If the risk decreases, I will go back. I trust my company to make the right decision."

Haridas Puthiyakodi, 49, also from Kerala, was on a cargo ship flying the Marshall Islands flag heading towards Hormuz when the ship in front of them was attacked, forcing them to turn back to Abu Dhabi. Speaking after returning to India, Puthiyakodi said, "I didn't tell my wife I was in a war zone. Now she knows and tells me I shouldn't go to the Gulf again." He added, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't go either, but as a sailor, you have to go everywhere."

I Will Never Return

Experienced sailor Tanel Hirenkumar Praveenbhai, 42, has been working at sea for over 20 years and has crossed the Strait of Hormuz countless times, carrying oil from the Gulf to China and Singapore. The war also changed his perspective.

Joining a Panama-flagged oil tanker in Dubai in February, Praveenbhai was one of an estimated 20,000 sailors stranded due to the blockade. "The war broke out two days before we were supposed to go to Singapore," the sailor said. "A helicopter fell just 10-15 meters from our ship, and several missiles also passed very close to us."

The crew was ordered not to move, and they waited at anchor for about three months. "Of course we were scared, but there was nothing we could do," Praveenbhai said. Movement resumed only after the ceasefire, and the ship departed via Dubai on May 29. Praveenbhai said, "I will never return to Hormuz. No amount of money is worth more than my life."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after three Indian sailors were killed in an American attack on a Palau-flagged ship off the coast of Oman in June, spoke with US President Donald Trump and requested the safety of civilian sailors be ensured.

Indian sailors fear returning after the war in the Strait of Hormuz