Iran war: 15,000 cruise ship passengers trapped in Gulf waters

Iran war: 15,000 cruise ship passengers trapped in Gulf waters Submitted by Peter McNamara on Thu, 03/05/2026 - 16:19 The near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has left tourists and seafarers stranded as war continues to rage Cruise ships are seen anchored at the old port of Doha on 4 March 2026 (Karim Jaafar/AFP) Off Thousands of cruise ship passengers remain stranded in the Gulf as a result of the war on Iran . The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN -run agency, told AFP on Thursday that around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers were trapped as the conflict has frozen travel. "Beyond the economic impact of these alarming attacks, it is a humanitarian issue.