Cargo and tanker ship crews trapped, stranded by Strait of Hormuz closure | 60 Minutes
In a Nutshell
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid war with the US and Israel has stranded ~20,000 crew members on 700 ships, including 400 oil tankers holding 200 million barrels, halting 95% of normal traffic and spiking US gas prices by 65 cents/gallon—the fastest rise in 20 years. Despite US strikes rendering Iran's navy ineffective and destroying mine layers, shipping firms like Hapag refuse to proceed without guaranteed safety, as Iranian attacks have killed 8 crew and damaged vessels, while Iran boosts its own oil exports to China. Experts warn no quick policy fixes exist beyond reopening the strait, with US offers of insurance and escorts dismissed as insufficient amid ongoing threats.
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As the war enters its third week, US military officials say 6,000 Iranian military targets have been struck, including ballistic missile sites and air defense systems. Iran's navy has been rendered combat ineffective. Iran maintains its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, the only route connecting oil-rich countries in the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. It is a crucial 21-mile wide waterway for a fifth of the world's oil. Normally, 130 commercial ships pass through it every day. On February 28th, when Israeli and American jets began dropping bombs on Iran and Iran retaliated, those ships ground to a halt, spiking American gas prices. This is an unprecedented closure of one of the world's most vital choke points.
An estimated 20,000 crew members are stranded and under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, a Thai cargo ship was struck by a projectile from Iran, setting the ship on fire and trapping members of the crew. It is one of the few ships that has attempted to cross since the start of the war. Most others have been at a standstill in the waters surrounding the strait, with constant sound of drones and attacks.
Captain Zilka Lee Kuster from her operation center in Hamburg, Germany, oversees a 300-vessel fleet for the German shipping giant Hapag. Hundreds if not thousands of ships are hovering outside the Strait of Hormuz.
At what point did you look at the situation out there and say, "It's too dangerous. These ships should not sail through this strait." That was very early and very quickly. Iran already said that they would attack any vessel that is passing through the Strait of Hormuz and this was the moment when we called off.
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