K-Points

Shipowners Offer Six-Month Salary Bonus to Sailors for Passage Through Strait of Hormuz, Risking their Life

Reports indicate that several shipowners are offering substantial financial incentives to encourage sailors to navigate the southern section of the Strait of Hormuz, particularly the route close to the Omani coastline. According to a Bloomberg report, one shipowner is providing an exceptional bonus to crews willing to undertake the perilous journey through this strategically vital and frequently unstable maritime corridor. The incentive includes an additional six months’ salary for seafarers who agree to sail through the Strait, forcing them to weigh a difficult choice: accept a significant financial reward or confront the serious risks associated with traversing this critical oil transit route, where the threat to life is considerable.

The Sinokor Group, known as the world’s largest owner of supertankers, has reportedly distributed this offer to its seafarers. The bonus applies to a round-trip voyage involving the pickup of crude oil from ports in Saudi Arabia or Iraq, followed by unloading in the Gulf of Oman. An internal document circulated late last week and reviewed by Bloomberg reveals that the company promises an extra six months’ pay for crews who complete the journey, which is expected to take roughly one month in total.

Many analyst suspect that the United States may be behind or supporting this strategy as part of a broader effort to undermine Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and was closed by Iran after US attacks. By incentivizing shipping companies and their crews to use the southern route near Oman, the plan could be interpreted as an attempt to bypass Iranian control and  its leverage over US in war and in negotiations