“I am worried,” a sailor stuck in the Gulf told AFP, his vessel unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, blocked for nearly two weeks after US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“Every day on the ship, I can see missile launches and hear explosions, making me feel like I was in danger,” said Wang Shang, 32.

Wang, a Chinese national from the landlocked central province of Henan, works on a foreign ship used to transport liquefied petroleum gas sourced from the energy-rich region.

Since navigation in and out of the Gulf essentially came to a halt, Wang has shared his experiences by posting videos on Douyin, the Chinese domestic version of TikTok.

“We cannot leave at present,” he said. “If we wanted to depart now, it would be impossible.”