Thousands of seafarers are trapped on tankers in the Gulf after the strait of Hormuz was effectively closed to shipping by the escalating war on Iran. Initially the crew were told to stop loading the oil, but hours later they were told to return and continue filling the tanker. In total there are more than 20 seafarers on board, including nationals from the Philippines and India. View image in fullscreen Oil tankers pass through the strait of Hormuz in 2018. On Wednesday a large explosion was reported on an oil tanker near the coast of Kuwait.

Source: The Guardian March 06, 2026 13:30 UTC