Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz

About this episode

<p>While the United States and Iran have each signaled that they may be making progress toward a peace deal, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.</p> <p>Thousands of crew members have been stranded in the shipping channel since the war broke out three months ago.</p> <p>Two seafarers who got stuck in the strait explain what it is like to be trapped in a war zone, and what it would mean to get everyone out.</p> <p>Guest: Capt. Virendra Vishwakarma, who managed to leave the Strait of Hormuz, and Aung Thu Khant, a seafarer who is still stuck.</p> <p>Background reading: </p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/28/world/iran-war-us-trump-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read the latest updates</a> on the war in Iran.</li> <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/world/middleeast/sailors-stranded-phillipines-iran.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thousands of civilian sailors have been stranded</a> in waters surrounded by a conflict zone because of the war.</li> </ul> <p>Photo: Reuters</p> <p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>nytimes.com/thedaily</strong></a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>