Every morning union official Mohamed Arrachedi checks a flood of WhatsApp alerts from mariners stranded in the Persian Gulf. As the regional coordinator for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, he fields calls from crews whose vessels have been idled since the Strait of Hormuz shut, some reporting months‑long wage arrears and dwindling food supplies, and anxiously await any sign of safe passage.

Arrachedi’s team has logged more than 2,000 assistance requests, a volume the union describes as unprecedented. Sailors describe constant bomb threats, blocked passages and empty galley stores, driving up insurance premiums and prompting charterers to reroute cargo. The bottleneck threatens to tighten global oil and container flows, adding pressure to freight markets already jittery from regional volatility, and jeopardize scheduled deliveries.

Shipping lines, insurers and financiers now look to Arrachedi as the only conduit for real‑time crew data, a role that could shape settlement negotiations and influence future risk assessments. With the strait’s closure persisting, the union’s on‑the‑ground network has become a critical operational node, directly affecting cash flow for owners and crews alike, for the broader supply chain.