Tired and worried, seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf for weeks

Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels, including oil and gas tankers and cargo ships, have been stuck in the Gulf, unable to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Normally about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transits the waterway. Roughly 80 vessels passed through the strait in the week of April 13-19, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd's List Intelligence, compared to approximately 130 or more transits per day before the war. Dozens of ships have come under attack since the war started, and the UN says at least 10 seafarers were killed. Even as US President Donald Trump last week extended the ceasefire indefinitely, the US kept the blockade of Iranian ports. In response, Iran fired on ships in the strait and seized two. Israel, Iran spent less on defence in 2025 than 2024, tracker says ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Military spending in the Middle East plateaued in 2025, even as it climbed in other parts of the world, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank, which goes by the acronym SPRI, said regionwide spending increased 0.1% but actually fell in both Israel and Iran. Israel's military spending fell 4.9% to $48.3 billion, reflecting a less intense year of fighting than in 2024 after it entered ceasefires in Lebanon in November 2024 and in Gaza in October 2025. Even as large-scale combat subsided, Israel continued carrying out lethal strikes and maintained a ground presence in both. Spending remains sharply elevated - up 97% compared with 2022 - and the war has strained public finances, with Israel reporting wider deficits and increased borrowing since it began. Iran's spending fell 5.6% to $7.4 billion. SIPRI attributed that to inflation and broader economic strain, though researchers warned that government reports are likely understated. ''Iran also uses off-budget oil revenues to finance its military, including the production of missiles and drones,'' SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim said.

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