Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday that they had hit a U.S. tanker in the northern part of the Gulf and the vessel was on fire. There was no immediate confirmation of the incident or of a similar attack that Iran claimed earlier this week.The Guards said in their Thursday statement carried by state media that, in time of war, passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be under the control of the Islamic Republic.
GTT announces that it has received, in the first quarter of 2026, an order from the shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries for the tank design of one new Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) on behalf of a European ship-owner.GTT will design the cryogenic tanks of the vessel, which will provide a total capacity of 180,000 m³. The tanks will be fitted with GTT’s Mark III Flex membrane containment system.Delivery of the vessel is expected in 2028.
Windward is publishing daily intelligence reports on the crisis in the Gulf as the situation develops.The highlights of today's report are as follows: The Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, with only five vessel crossings recorded on March 4.Bab el-Mandeb traffic surged to 23 crossings, sitting above recent averages.Suez Canal activity dropped to 23 crossings, falling below trend levels.Cape of Good Hope diversions remained elevated, confirming continued rerouting of global trade.
Sri Lanka started to offload 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel off its coast on Thursday, a day after 87 people were killed and several others were still missing after a U.S. submarine strike on an Iranian warship in the same region."After detailed discussions with all parties, Sri Lanka has decided to assist the Iranian vessel," Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a press briefing in Colombo.The crew being offloaded included 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors and 23 sailors, Dissanayake said.
More tankers came under attack in Gulf waters on Thursday as the U.S.–Iran war escalated, and Iranian drones entered Azerbaijan, threatening to spread the crisis to more oil producers in the region.A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian remote-controlled boat laden with explosives while anchored near Iraq's Khor al Zubair port, according to initial assessments. A second tanker at anchor off Kuwait was taking on water and spilling oil after a large explosion on its port side.Nine vessels have come under attack since the conflict broke out between the U.S.
European powers said on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding U.S.–Iran war entered its sixth day.The conflict - which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a British air base on Cypruson Monday, and as far afield as Asia - has convulsed global markets and sent oil and gas prices soaring.Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands will send naval assets to protect Cyprus in the coming days, Rome's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament.
Greek seafarers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday, halting local ferry services, as they protested over vessel crews stranded in the Gulf amid the escalating Middle East war, and demanded the area is declared a war risk zone to enable their repatriation.The Iran conflict threatens Gulf ports and has already disrupted global trade through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply. Although the Strait is not shut, Iran has warned that it will fire on any ship trying to pass through.
Interferry, the global voice of the ferry industry, endorsed the European Commission’s launch of the Industrial Maritime Strategy and the inherent critical recognition of the ferry sector’s strategic importance. Notably, the push for Member States to reinvest EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) revenues into maritime decarbonization aligns directly with Interferry’s long-standing recommendations.The strategy notes that the maritime industry faces annual financing needs for fleet decarbonization estimated between USD$2.78billion and 9.86 billion (2.4 billion and 8.5 billion Euro).
Saipem and Capsol Technologies ASA, a provider of carbon capture technology, have entered into a non-exclusive cooperation agreement in the field of carbon capture. Specifically, the agreement focuses on the joint development of projects of mutual interest in the Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) segment, with the aim of capturing the opportunities offered by a growing market.The agreement provides for a structured collaboration that combines Capsol’s CO2 capture technology with Saipem’s expertise in delivering complex energy projects to offer large industrial emitters a reliable
Fincantieri delivered the cruise ship Norwegian Luna to Norwegian Cruise Line during a ceremony at the builder’s Marghera shipyard in Italy, marking the second vessel in the expanded Prima Plus class.The 156,000-gt ship follows sister vessel Norwegian Aqua, delivered in 2025, and represents an evolution of the original Prima-class ships Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, which were also built by Fincantieri. At approximately 321 meters in length with capacity for about 3,550 passengers, Norwegian Luna is roughly 10% larger than the earlier Prima-class vessels.
Hamburg Messe und Congress is establishing "all about ports" (September 2-3, 2026, Hamburg), an international conference with an accompanying exhibition. The event takes a comprehensive look at modern port infrastructure, technologies and processes. Together with other international industry events, Hamburg will become a meeting point for the port industry, the maritime industry and digital logistics at the beginning of September.
Korean Register (KR) has launched an upgraded version of its technical software platform, "SeaTrust Software Hub," introducing an AI-integrated system designed to enhance user accessibility and strengthen customer support.SeaTrust Software Hub provides a more intuitive and structured interface for KR’s suite of technical software. It also enables users to manage the entire workflow, from software downloads and technical inquiries to feedback submission and improvement requests, all within a single integrated platform.