Since the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, the Strait of Hormuz has been a geographic constant as a choke point for which closure has been threatened from time to time but never truly closed. The longstanding assumption of the continued openness of the strait collapsed on February 28, 2026. In the weeks since Iran effectively shut the strait to commercial shipping in response to U.S. and Israeli military strikes and the U.S.
Two supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week with their transponders switched off, and are heading for India and China, shipping data from LSEG and Kpler showed.The vessels joined a number of tankers leaving the Gulf this month, although oil and LNG traffic overall has still been limited.The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Eagle Veracruz, carrying 2 million barrels of crude loaded from Saudi Arabia in late February, is heading to Quanzhou port in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian.
Dubai-based GMS has won U.S. government approval to scrap four container ships that were under Iran-related sanctions, potentially paving the way for Washington to reduce the shadow fleet of such vessels, the leading ship recycler's CEO said.Hundreds of ships with no known insurance or compliance with environmental safety standards have not only helped Iran and Russia circumvent sanctions, but also posed a threat of oil spills and fuel leaks in busy sea lanes.
All American Marine (AAM), in partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises, announced the delivery of a new 108′ x 32.5′ Parallel hybrid passenger vessel, after successful completion of sea trials. El Escudo will now enter deployment in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.Purpose-built to serve harbor tours, whale watch cruises, and special event dining experiences throughout the LA/Long Beach area, the vessel represents a major advancement in low-emissions passenger vessel design.
SEA.AI has been awarded a public tender by the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO), Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, to supply AI-powered maritime machine vision systems to support marine research, conservation, and maritime safety.The contract, secured in collaboration with SEA.AI’s regional partner, TMS Maritime Solutions, includes the delivery of seven SEA.AI systems for deployment across a range of vessels and operational environments.
In response to the increase in reported cases of seafarer abandonment, the World Maritime University (WMU) has launched a large-scale research initiative titled Seafarer Abandonment: A focused investigation into regulatory implementation.Funded by The TK Foundation, The ITF Seafarers’ Trust, and The Seafarers’ Charity, the research will examine how existing international protections, particularly those under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), are implemented across flag, port, and labour-supplying States “Maritime systems of governance are failing seafarers
ABS announced the release of the ABS Nuclear-Ready Notation, an industry first classification notation for marine and offshore assets designed to support future conversion to nuclear energy.The notation is featured in the latest ABS document, the Guide for Nuclear Ready Applications for Marine and Offshore.The notation offers a practical mechanism to help with preserving long-term flexibility, reducing the risk of major redesign later in an asset's life cycle, and demonstrating that future nuclear conversion has been addressed in accordance with ABS requirements.
"The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed for three months, trapping hundreds of ships and thousands of seafarers in the Persian Gulf while significantly reducing global seaborne tanker volumes,” says Niels Rasmusssen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.As it is unknown when ships can safely return to the strait, we present two outlook scenarios. One, “SoH open”, assumes that the strait is fully reopened before the end of the second quarter while the other, “SoH closed” assumes that the strait remains effectively closed throughout 2026 and 2027Since the beginning of the Iran war
Novatug, the innovation and R&D department of Multraship Towage & Salvage, has launched a brand new advanced simulator and training center using technology from Wärtsilä to promote safer operations and strengthen the preparedness and effectiveness of its crew for complex towage, vessel handling and specialist maritime operations.The new simulator suite, which is based at the group’s headquarters in Terneuzen in the Netherlands, enables masters, towmasters and crews to train in realistic operational scenarios, including complex towing procedures, challenging navigational conditions
Lloyd’s Register (LR) is launching its Future Navigators Schools Programme pilot in Lagos, Nigeria, aimed at inspiring young people to explore maritime and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers through in-person interactive workshops and a bespoke mobile game. The pilot program engaged students more than 270 young people, aged 14–16 across three schools in Lagos, combining in-person learning with digital tools designed to make maritime and STEM subjects more accessible, relevant and engaging for younger audiences.
Seatrium has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its NEXTGEN Energy Hub offshore concept.The NEXTGEN Energy Hub is designed to integrate ammonia storage and bunkering, power generation and marine electric vessel charging within a single offshore platform.Seatrium said the concept is intended to support the maritime energy transition by combining infrastructure for cleaner marine fuels, offshore power generation and charging capabilities for electric vessels.
Inchcape Shipping Services has opened a new office in Brunei Darussalam, expanding its presence in Southeast Asia and targeting offshore, naval and logistics operations in the country.The company said the Brunei office will initially focus on offshore services, oil and gas tanker operations, navy-related activities and integrated logistics support services.Inchcape said it has also been appointed as the authorized ship-to-ship agency in Brunei by MPABD.