Families of Sailors Killed in Iran War Struggle for Compensation and Closure

Sumit Kumar Singh, a sailor from eastern India, did not hesitate when a job opened up on a ship ferrying oil in the Persian Gulf.He knew it was dangerous work, but he needed the money.On Sept.

12, he told his wife, Komal Priya, that his ship would soon enter the Strait of Hormuz.He said he would call her once he arrived at its destination.

Instead, early the next morning, Ms.Priya received a call from a crew member saying that her husband and another sailor were missing after the ship, the El Gaia, was struck by an Iranian missile and a drone.Oil exports from the Persian Gulf have rebounded, with more tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

But the journey remains incredibly risky.Since the war began, there have been more than 100 attacks.

At least 26 ships have been struck this month alone, making it the most dangerous period during the war in Iran.Even as the regional conflict has escalated in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the strait remains a deadly focus of fighting.For going on eight months, thousands of sailors have been working on the front line of the war, supporting families far away.

At least 25 of them have been killed, almost all by Iran, and four are missing.The first fatality was hours after the war began, and the most recent report of sailors who are missing or dead was on Monday.On the El Gaia, projectiles struck the engine room, and Mr.

Singh died in the ensuing fire.Grief has left Ms.

Priya barely able to eat, said her brother, Aditya Raj, who recounted the family’s experience.Around the house, the children, ages 4 and 7, ask where their father is.The New York Times interviewed members of seven families, including Mr.

Raj, who lost husbands, fathers and brothers to attacks in or around the Strait of Hormuz.It reviewed incident reports, communications between shipping companies and families, and life insurance records, and spoke to industry analysts and officials who were monitoring conditions in the region.We are having trouble retrieving...