Chinese Sailors Report Being Attacked in Strait of Hormuz Amid US-Israel-Iran Tensions

Kathmandu. Chinese sailors have reported being attacked in the crucial waterway 'Strait of Hormuz', which has been blocked for weeks following the start of a war between the US-Israel attack and Iran, they said.

One sailor wrote in a group chat obtained by AFP on Friday, "We have been attacked." Conversations in Chinese on the 'WeChat' messaging app, provided by a worker stranded in the Gulf since the conflict began, paint a vivid picture of the dangers currently faced by sailors there.

It was stated that they are representative figures and that this applies to other sailors worldwide. The crisis in the 'Strait of Hormuz', a vital shipping route from the oil-rich Gulf, has shaken global markets, increasing fears of prolonged rises in energy costs.

The sailor's post stated, "They are stranded on the 'Ocean Prity'. The cargo crew was targeted by gunfire and rocket launcher attacks while attempting to cross the sea on Thursday."

AFP could not confirm the sailor's report of an attack on the ship. The unidentified sailor wrote, "Fortunately, none of the crew members were injured."

Other sailors wrote in the conversation, "You are really stubborn." "We are crossing the sea. It's just luck that no one got hurt," another posted.

"We have become single-minded because we have seen a state of recklessness," the original sailor wrote. These messages express a sentiment of camaraderie in the international logistics network that fuels the modern economy.

The damaged vessel is currently 'stuck' in the waters near the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas and is 'awaiting inspection,' he said. Maritime traffic monitoring sites showed a line of ships at Bandar Abbas on Friday.

"We did not receive any warning about the alleged attack," the sailor said. As the Middle East war approaches its fourth week, US President Donald Trump and other top officials in his administration are perplexed as to how this situation will end.

"Is there any news about when the Strait will open?" a sailor in the WeChat group asked in the conversation. "What kind of question is that?" another replied.

"No one can answer that," the latter questioner added. Bridget Diakun, an analyst at the data company Lloyd's List Intelligence, said, "Of the small flow of ships that have passed through the route in recent days, 10 percent were Chinese-owned or Chinese-flagged vessels."

The sailor on the Barbados-flagged ship wrote, "They also flew three Chinese flags for security when attempting to cross the waterway." Citing a scene from a 2017 film, he wrote, "Don't believe that Wu Jing carried the national flag. The situation is different."

"If it's not completely safe, don't travel," another wrote. In other conversations, sailors weigh the obstacles and the potential bonuses they might receive from their companies if successful, indicating they are prepared to face the crisis.

"If the company gives you five hundred thousand, would you go?" one asked without specifying the currency of which country. Another replied, "Brother, you have to be alive to spend that money."

Another person said, "Anyone who rushes to move forward on this route may have problems, and they undertake the journey risking their lives based on their financial crisis. This is their compulsion."