Refusing to cross, unable to escape: Seafarers recount Hormuz dangers to Euronews
The Al Ruwais, a 314-metre LNG carrier, has been sitting adrift off Pakistan for weeks as its 34-member crew refuses to cross the dangerous Strait of Hormuz despite demands from owners.
The UAE-owned vessel has been stationary for weeks as crew members exercise their individual right under maritime regulations to refuse transit into the designated warlike area. "What strikes me as strange is that this company is willing to risk the ship just to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," an electrician aboard told Euronews. "If it were up to the company, we'd go through, but for that to happen, the entire crew would have to agree. And they don't."
Hormuz crossing premiums
For crews willing to cross, companies have offered substantial incentives. Captains can receive up to $100,000 per month plus $50,000 risk bonuses, while ordinary crew wages have risen four to six times. On other ships, they give as much as $10,000, but not everyone gets the same amount, and it depends a lot on the position and base salary, the sailor said.
It's only fair that everyone gets the same amount, otherwise, it would mean that the captain's life is worth more than that of the deckhand.
Traffic collapse in Hormuz
The vital waterway for global energy trade has seen traffic plummet by over 90% since the outbreak of the Iran war following US-Israeli strikes in late February. More than 125 vessels passed daily before the war; that figure has fallen to fewer than 10 to 12, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler.
Drone attacks, sea mines and strikes from unknown projectiles have driven the decline, with UK Maritime Trade Operations recording multiple incidents involving fires, sinkings and power failures aboard tankers and LNG carriers. Ships attempting the crossing have turned off satellite transponders and radio equipment to avoid detection.
Iranian seafarers' plight
For Iranian sailors, the dangers are particularly acute. "Nearly 60% of our ships are sanctioned and forbidden from calling at foreign ports," he said.
About 40% of southern Iranian seafarers have refused sea assignments, with many shifting to the Caspian Sea. Wages in the south have increased by 30 to 100%, with sailors now earning between 50 and 80 million tomans per month. Hamed estimated that roughly 35,000 Iranian seafarers continue operating in southern waters to deliver essential goods.
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