The CIRS Long View: Understanding Regional Dynamics | The Invisible Human Cost of the Hormuz Crisis | April, 2026

As tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz, global attention has largely centered on oil markets and military maneuvering. This episode shifts the lens to a more overlooked reality: the thousands of civilian seafarers caught in the crossfire. With shipping routes disrupted, vessels targeted, and crew rotations stalled, these workers face prolonged uncertainty and risk far from home. Featuring insights from Mohamed Arrachedi of the International Transport Workers’ Federation and Jatin Dua of the University of Michigan, the conversation brings forward the human stories often eclipsed by geopolitical analysis. By tracing the lived experiences of seafarers, this episode reveals the hidden labor sustaining global trade and the profound costs borne by those rendered invisible in times of conflict.

Speakers: Mohamed Arrachedi, ITF FOC Network Coordinator for Arab World and Iran International Transport Workers’ Federation

Mohamed Arrachedi is the Flag of Convenience Network Coordinator for the Arab World and Iran at the International Transport Workers’ Federation. Based in Spain, he has worked with the ITF since the early 2000s as an inspector and unionist, advocating for seafarers’ rights across global shipping networks. In his current role, Arrachedi leads regional efforts to support and protect seafarers, particularly in cases of abandonment, unpaid wages, and labor exploitation. His work involves coordinating a network of inspectors and union contacts across ports in the Arab region and Iran, as well as engaging in training, education, and advocacy initiatives to improve maritime labor conditions.

Jatin Dua, Associate Professor Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Jatin Dua is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and Director of the Oceans Lab. His research focuses on maritime mobility, global trade, and the governance of circulation in the Indian Ocean, with particular attention to piracy, law, and political economy. He is the author of Captured at Sea: Piracy and Protection in the Indian Ocean, an award-winning ethnographic study of Somali piracy and the global systems that regulate maritime trade. His broader work examines how legal regimes, risk, and infrastructure shape life at sea, connecting coastal communities, shipping industries, and global power structures.

Moderator: Maryam Daud, Administrative Assistant, CIRS