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TRANSCRIPT
For Captain Raman Kapoor, it's been a long couple of months.
"Since 54 days, we are here stranded inside this conflict zone. And, the most important, most concerning part is the uncertainty and helplessness and prolonged stays, delayed repatriations - all these points are very much concerning at the moment."
He's in charge of an Indian vessel carrying crude oil, one of hundreds of ships stranded in the Persian Gulf in a maritime standoff that has continued even as strikes have stopped across the Middle East while the ceasefire is in place.
Tehran has consistently said it would keep the Strait closed while the US maintained its own blockade of ports and vessels, and consider any ships passing through as fair game to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Accordingly, since an extension of the ceasefire was publicly announced, Iranian forces have seized two container ships in the Strait and reportedly attacked a third, accusing them of operating without required permits and tampering with their navigation systems.
The taking of the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca was confirmed by Montenegro's minister of maritime affairs, while the other has been identified as the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas.
Not surprisingly, in light of such events, Captain Kapoor says his crew are on constant alert.
"My guys are continuously on watch, watching for the drones, unidentified, boats or missiles. And, it is not a regular thing on board (a) ship. So whenever a vessel is in danger zone, in war, conflict or passing through any piracy zone, then we maintain the security level three, which is highest security level."
International leaders have not given up hope that the stalemate can be resolved.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says both parties are entrenched in their respective positions, and the world's trade should not be caught in the middle.
JOURNALIST: "The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has said that the lifting of the naval blockade by the United States is a precondition for them to resume the talks. Does the secretary-general explicitly call on Washington to lift that so-called naval blockade?"
DUJARRIC: "We have been calling for the restoration of freedom of navigation in the Gulf, in the Strait of Hormuz since that freedom of navigation ceased. And we've seen ups and downs. The world needs to see freedom of navigation resume in the Strait of Hormuz."
In Europe, Britain and France have held a meeting with international leaders in London to plan ahead for if and when the Strait does reopen to normal traffic.
Last week, more than a dozen countries said they were willing to join an international mission led by those countries to protect shipping when conditions allow.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the meeting has considered both short and long term objectives.
"With likeminded countries who want to see an end to the conflict but also want to discuss how we resolve this post-conflict such as the sea mines that are in the strait, the welfare of the seafarers and how we get repair to infrastructure which has been damaged."
Yet when the re-opening might occur is anyone's guess.
The White House says it doesn't consider the seizure of the ships to be a violation of the ceasefire, because the ships aren't American or Israeli vessels.
But the second round of peace talks that were due to be hosted by Pakistan are still on hold.
The White House has suspended Vice President JD Vance's planned trip to Islamabad, while Iran has acknowledged the ceasefire extension but didn't say Tehran was ready to attend a new round of negotiations to end the war.
Iran's ability to restrict traffic through the strait - which leads from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean - has proved a major strategic advantage.
Yet White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt maintains Iran is in a weak position, and that Donald Trump will decide the fate of the ceasefire extension.
"Well look, President Trump ultimately will dictate the timeline. And he will do so when he feels is in the best interest of the United States and the American people.”
