India Bars Its Seafarers From Voyages Through the Strait of Hormuz

India's Directorate General of Shipping on Wednesday, July 15, ordered shipowners, ship managers and recruitment firms not to deploy any Indian seafarers on vessels whose routes pass through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. The order states: "No deployment of Indian seafarers on vessels undertaking voyages involving passage through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders."

The decision followed the deaths of two Indian seafarers in separate attacks on commercial vessels near the waterway over the past three days. India is the world's third-largest supplier of seafarers, with more than 300,000 sailors working across global fleets; over 15,000 of them are currently stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and gas, and a shortage of crews could add further pressure on tanker traffic and energy shipping costs, including Iran's oil exports.