The captain of a ship trapped in the Strait of Hormuz has said he feels “totally helpless”, as the war between Iran and the United States continues to rage around him.
The blockade of the vital shipping route by Iran has caused huge disruption to the business of international trade and sent fossil fuel prices soaring.
The IMF has even warned that the conflict could even cause a global economic recession.
On The Claire Byrne Show, Captain Raman Kapoor of India said he and his 23 crew members are “well and keeping ourselves safe” amid all the chaos.
“We are very lucky that we have been getting constant supplies of food and water,” he said.
“In fact, a couple of days back, we were replenished with our food stock; we have got no concerns about food.”
Despite this, Captain Kapoor said that “of course” he and his crew are feeling stressed by the situation.
“But [in] my job as a ship captain, I cannot show my weakness to my crew, my whole world.
“I have to keep the morale of every crew high.
“So, yes, we are seafarers; we have to stay strong and focused.”
'We cannot move'
While negotiations with between Iran and the United States are ongoing, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth insisted that they Washington has “all the time in the world” and that they are not “anxious” to make a deal.
It all means Captain Kapoor has no idea when his voyage will end.
“We are totally helpless,” he said.
“Uncertainty and helplessness is the major concern at the moment - we are stuck here.
“We are on ship for the last two months, continuously on ship only, we cannot move.
“The ship is not moving, we are not moving.
“No one is boarding our vessel; we are not allowed to get down from the vessel.”
'Let us work'
Captain Kapoor added that his company is working on an evacuation plan but he has no idea whether it is feasible.
Overall, he finds the situation “really overwhelming” and hopes the conflict will soon end.
“As a ship captain, I urge to prioritise de-escalation and don't make seafarers collateral victim in this conflict,” he said.
“We are the seafarers; we keep world moving, we are the guardians of global trade.
“It is my humble appeal to prioritise seafarers safety and ensure every possible support to us.
“Please keep the seas open for trade and humanity. Let us work.”
Main image: A ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Picture by: Alamy.com.
