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A few tankers and ships...
At least nine oil tankers have transited the Strait of Hormuz this week as the U.S. and Iran contest...
China told Maersk and MSC...
April 15 (Reuters) – China has told Danish shipping group Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), opens new tab and Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC...
World’s largest, China’s first 10,000-ton...
The world’s largest and China’s first 10,000-ton pure electric intelligent container vessel, the Ningyuan Diankun, set sail on Wednesday from...
Strait of Hormuz: Why the...
The Strait of Hormuz exists in the eye of the beholder. While everyone agrees that, geographically speaking, it is...
Sanctioned China tanker turns back to Strait of Hormuz, day after Gulf exit...
posted on: Apr 17, 2026
SINGAPORE, April 15 (Reuters) – The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal. The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here. “During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade,” the U.S. Central Command said, opens new tabon X, adding that six vessels complied with directions from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port. The Chinese-owned tanker was among at least eight ships crossing the waterway on Tuesday, the first day of the U.S. blockade. A U.S. destroyer stopped...
Europe set to copy Egypt’s Suez Canal tolls with £20bn new waterway plan amid Strait of Hormuz tensions...
posted on: Apr 15, 2026
Rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have heightened focus on alternative maritime chokepoints, increasing attention on Turkey’s Istanbul Canal. The waterway would run parallel to the Bosphorus Strait, offering Europe a Suez Canal-style shipping route capable of handling around 160 vessels or oil tankers per day. In turn, the project would allow Turkey to potentially monetise transit traffic in a manner similar to Egypt’s Suez Canal and Panama’s interoceanic route. According to Express, the project is estimated to cost £20 billion, with £12 billion allocated to the canal itself and £8 billion for development on either side, and is expected to be completed by 2027. In 2021, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the project as transformative for Turkey’s economy. He said: “Today we are opening a new page in the history of Turkey’s development. We see Canal Istanbul as a project to save the future of Istanbul… to ensure...
Iran Claims to Have Hit an MSC Container Ship in the Mideast...
posted on: Apr 15, 2026
On Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed a drone strike on an MSC container ship at a position in the Gulf region. “A drone struck the vessel . . . linked to the Zionist regime in the Strait of Hormuz; the ship caught fire,” the IRGC claimed in a statement on X, naming the target vessel as the MSC Ishyka. A vessel broadcasting the name MSC Ishyka III – but listed in Equasis as MSC Ishyka (IMO 9154206) – operates on a regional route between India, Africa and the Arabian Gulf. Based on the ship’s most recent AIS signature, MSC Ishyka III is not in the Strait of Hormuz, but at berth in Manama, Bahrain (per Pole Star Global). Like hundreds of other merchant vessels, MSC Ishyka III was trapped inside the Gulf when U.S. forces attacked Iran on February 28, and was at berth in Manama on that date. Her AIS signal disappeared from tracking that...
Two Supertankers Reverse Course After Approaching Strait Of Hormuz As US-Iran Talks Fail...
posted on: Apr 15, 2026
Two empty supertankers, including a Pakistan-flagged vessel, turned back at the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after reaching close to the key transit point, as talks between the United States and Iran ended without any agreement. Ship-tracking data showed that three very large crude carriers (VLCCs), none directly linked to Iran, began moving towards the strait from the Gulf of Oman late on Saturday. They reached near Iran’s Larak Island early on Sunday, which is seen as a checkpoint for vessels entering the waterway. At this point, the Iraq-bound Agios Fanourios I and Pakistan-flagged Shalamar, which was heading to Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, took a U-turn and moved away from the strait. A third tanker, Mombasa B, continued its journey and passed through the Iran-approved route between Larak and Qeshm islands into the Persian Gulf. The vessel is not currently indicating a clear destination. The exact...
Iran must not charge tolls in Strait of Hormuz, UN maritime chief says...
posted on: Apr 13, 2026
Iran’s bid to charge ships tolls to transit the Strait of Hormuz is illegal and should be rejected by the international community, the head of the global shipping watchdog has said, as uncertainty hangs over the country’s fragile truce with the United States. Iranian authorities have demanded the right to impose tolls on vessels transiting the strait, including after the end of the war. US President Donald Trump has also floated the possibility of a “joint venture” for collecting payments operated by Washington and Tehran. “Countries do not have the right to introduce tools or payments or charges on these straits,” Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “Any introduction of tolls is something that is against international law,” Dominguez said. “And I will call for anyone not to actually follow and use these kind of services because that’s a precedent that...
Australia Bans Bulk Carrier After 7 Months of Unpaid Crew Wages...
posted on: Apr 13, 2026
Australia’s maritime regulator has issued a stark warning to shipowners after banning a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier for six months over serious breaches of seafarer welfare standards. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) announced it has prohibited the vessel BBG Wuzhou from entering Australian ports or waters until October 4, 2026, following a port state control inspection in Newcastle that uncovered widespread violations of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). According to AMSA, inspectors identified multiple deficiencies during the boarding, including the underpayment of wages, inadequate food provisions, and a failure to provide free drinking water to crew members—conditions that led authorities to detain the vessel as unseaworthy and substandard. The most serious finding: crew members had gone unpaid for nearly seven months, with outstanding wages totaling AUD $68,994.15. “Seafarers play a critical role in keeping Australia moving, and they deserve to be paid lawfully and fairly,” said AMSA Acting Executive Director of Operations Greg Witherall. “Underpaying...
Safety without compromise: Inmarsat’s commitment to global safety services...
posted on: Apr 13, 2026
When a distress alert is triggered at sea, there is no room for uncertainty. For tens of thousands of vessels worldwide, Inmarsat Maritime’s safety services provide a critical and dependable lifeline, writes John Dodd, Head of Maritime Safety, Inmarsat Maritime. Maritime risk has not diminished with time. In 2025, the Inmarsat network handled more than 890 GMDSS distress calls, in line with recent years. Behind every one of those calls was a crew facing a real situation, whether severe weather, an onboard emergency, a security threat, or operational failure. At the same time, the maritime environment is becoming more complex. Geopolitical tensions, shifting trade routes, weather extremes, re-emerging piracy risks, and growing cybersecurity threats are reshaping risk. Even digitalisation and decarbonisation – which promise a safer and more sustainable maritime world – may induce the information overload that contributes to human error. Technology has evolved rapidly across the industry,...
Divers try to solve mystery of 100-year-old shipwreck...
posted on: Apr 13, 2026
A diving operation is under way to find out the identity of a ship that sank 100 years ago. Led by Riley Conway, a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society’s Sub-Aqua Club, the archaeology project is taking place in Portsmouth’s Langstone Harbour. The wreck is believed to be the dredging vessel Withern, which sank in 1926, but its identity has never been confirmed. Conway said: “This project is about more than just a wreck. It’s about uncovering a piece of Portsmouth’s history that’s been lost for 100 years and sharing it with the community.” The wreck’s identity is a source of mystery because another dredger, the Witham, sank nearby in 1912 under similar circumstances. Both vessels were lost on their moorings in the harbour. Scuba divers have taken part in investigations at the site Scuba divers took part in investigations at the site on Thursday and Friday and are...
Shipping Avoids Hormuz Lanes as Iran Pushes Vessels Toward Controlled Corridors...
posted on: Apr 12, 2026
The Trump administration has insisted the Strait of Hormuz is open following the ceasefire, but early shipping data suggests otherwise. Vessel movements remain extremely limited, with no meaningful return to normal traffic and energy shipments notably absent as shipowners await clarity on how transits will be conducted. Analysis from EOS Risk Group’s Head of Advisory, Martin Kelly, indicates that Iran’s latest directives—issued hours after a U.S.–Iran ceasefire—are already reshaping how vessels transit one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. According to Kelly, Iranian authorities have instructed commercial vessels to avoid traditional Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) lanes and instead use alternative corridors near Larak Island that have become a hallmark of the crisis so far, citing the risk of sea mines deployed during the conflict. Inbound traffic is reportedly being routed north of the island, with outbound vessels directed south, effectively shifting traffic closer to Iranian territorial waters. While the presence and...
Ozellar Marine, Navarino advance hybrid fleet connectivity...
posted on: Apr 12, 2026
Ozellar Marine is advancing its digital fleet strategy through a hybrid connectivity model managed on a single platform. Working with Navarino, the ship manager is combining multiple satellite services to improve control, performance and crew welfare. Ozellar Marine is pushing how it manages connectivity across its fleet by adopting a hybrid, multi-band approach supported by Navarino’s Infinity platform. The company, which oversees around 15 vessels, has deployed a mix of Fleet Xpress, Ku-band and Starlink services, all centrally managed to give greater operational control. “At the core of our setup is the ability to manage everything independently,” said Murtuza Shabbir, Assistant Technical Manager at Ozellar Marine. “With Infinity, we can monitor traffic, adjust policies, and roll out changes across the fleet quickly, without relying on external support.” The setup has allowed Ozellar Marine to refine onboard connectivity in response to crew feedback. The company recently introduced structured data allowances...
Australia Bans Chinese-Owned Bulker for Unpaid Crew Wages...
posted on: Apr 12, 2026
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, well-known for its strict enforcement actions, announced it has issued a six-month ban against a Chinese-owned bulker for unpaid crew wages and other violations. It is the second ban the authority has issued in a little over a month, with it saying it should serve as a reminder to employers of their obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention. The Liberia-flagged bulker BBG Wuzhou (81,895 dwt) recently arrived in the port of Newcastle, where AMSA reports it conducted a comprehensive inspection. Built in 2016, the vessel is owned and managed by companies in China. AMSA reports it found that the crew had not been paid for seven months, with unpaid wages totaling nearly A$69,000 (US$49,000). In addition, AMSA says it identified multiple issues, including insufficient food and not providing free drinking water. It also reports the ship was detained for unseaworthiness and “being substandard.” The bulker departed...
Shipbuilding Orderbook Hits 17-Year High Driven by Tankers Reports BIMCO...
posted on: Apr 12, 2026
The boom in shipbuilding orders is continuing, reaching a 17-year high, reports industry group BIMCO. While it sees a slowing in some sectors, it points to a recent surge in crude oil tanker orders coming after the container segment was already driven to new highs. During the first quarter of 2026, newbuilding contracting has risen 40 percent year-over-year to 17.6 million Compensated Gross Tonnes (CGT). In total, it calculates the global shipping orderbook reached 191 million Compensated Gross Tonnes (CGT). BIMCO reports that this is equivalent to 17 percent of the global fleet, the highest ratio since 2011. “So far during the 2020s, newbuilding contracting has been 47 percent higher than the average during the 2010s, driven by stronger market conditions in the larger sectors, an overall larger fleet, and an increased need for fleet renewal,” explains Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO. “This has contributed to an...
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The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential The ‘Cadet Gridlock’ in Bangladesh’s Maritime Sector: A Sorrowful Story of Wasted Potential By Minar Rashid 21E On 15 November, the BMCS Gala Night 2025 was held at Singapore’s Orchid Country Club. With the vibrant participation of hundreds of Bangladeshi mariners and their families, the event became a remarkable reunion […]
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