Indian sailors, including Tithi Chiranjeevi and Anant Singh Chauhan, have recounted harrowing experiences near the Strait of Hormuz, describing nights filled with missile fire and significant food shortages after the Iran conflict choked the vital trade route. Over a month, Chiranjeevi was stranded on the cargo ship Ilda, witnessing daily bombardments that prevented sleep and caused immense fear. The crisis left nearly 2,000 ships trapped, disrupting a passage that usually sees about 138 vessels daily and carries a fifth of global oil and LNG. Many sailors lost contact with families, faced mental distress, and returned home with substantial debts incurred to secure these overseas jobs, despite relief at their safe evacuation coordinated by the Indian government, which has repatriated nearly 3,000 sailors.