# Indian crew refuses to cross war-hit Strait of Hormuz 2026-08-16T06:20:37+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets The Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI) has released a video in which the Indian master of the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel AM Pioneer, Anil Raj, says the company is forcing its 16 Indian crew to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite security risks. The Hindu reports that the crew has refused, saying they will not sail until the strait is safe. The SOS video was posted on the day reports said Iran is ready to escalate tensions in the chokepoint as talks with the U.S. to end the conflict have stalled. In a separate account, the Economic Times quotes an Indian tanker captain who was stranded for 75 days in the same waterway. Raman Kapoor, a master with over 28 years at sea, said he and his 23 crew members were anchored near the Strait of Hormuz with missiles flying overhead. Kapoor described the crew's stress, sleepless nights, and fear after an explosion less than a mile from their vessel. He said the crew refused an order to conduct a ship-to-ship cargo transfer after another vessel doing the same was attacked. FSUI said on X that the owners and managers of AM Pioneer, Alphard Maritime Private Limited, are pressuring the master to force the crew to cross. "No seafarer should risk death for owners' profits or convenience," the union said. The crew has asked to sail only when the strait is safe for all ships. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com - thehindu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-18T03:25:39+00:00. Tags: Indian seafarers, Iran, Raman Kapoor, Strait of Hormuz Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indian-tanker-captain-recounts-75-days-stranded-in-iran-war-zone/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indian-tanker-captain-recounts-75-days-stranded-in-iran-war-zone/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/