The race to rescue 8 000 sailors still stranded behind Hormuz

By Weilun Soon and Stephen Stapczynski

At anchor in the Persian Gulf, Abhijit Chopra found out about the US-Iran peace deal when his phone lit up with messages from family and friends. The captain of a crude oil tanker, he had to temper his excitement. There were no signs of celebration from nearby vessels, and no ships making haste towards the Strait of Hormuz.

Chopra and his 21-strong crew have been trapped since the war began in late February. At the beginning, they struggled with fear and uncertainty, which ebbed into boredom and a constant battle not to let negative thoughts set in.

For more than 120 days they have waited, dining together and bonding by singing old Hindi songs at karaoke.

In early March, Chopra and his crew — all of whom were Indian, aside from one Ukrainian — celebrated Holi, a major Hindu festival, onboard the tanker. They