U.S. forces disabled an unladen oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Monday after it attempted to sail to an Iranian port in violation of the ongoing blockade against Iran, the U.S. military said.U.S. Central Command said in a post on X that the M/T Marivex, a Palau-flagged vessel, was transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran when it was targeted.
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.
"So far this year, ship transits via the Panama Canal have increased 8% y/y to a daily average of 38, driven by the tanker sector. Transits have been especially high during the past five weeks, rising 16% y/y, as US energy exports to the Pacific jumped,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.
Both Iraq and Pakistan have cut deals with Iran to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter, in a demonstration of Tehran's ability to control energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has slashed energy exports from a region that normally supplies 20% of the world's crude oil and LNG. The U.S.
The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran
An LNG tanker managed by UAE's ADNOC has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and appears to be near India, ship-tracking data showed on Monday.If confirmed, this will be the first loaded LNG tanker to cross the strait since the Iran war started on February 28. Adnoc did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
Shippers on Wednesday said they needed more clarity on the terms of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran said the waterway remained closed to vessels sailing without a permit.The six‑week conflict had brought traffic through the strait - a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments - close to a standstill
The Panama Canal marked a significant milestone on Monday with the inaugural transit of the Neopanamax cruise ship, Disney Adventure, the largest passenger vessel by capacity and gross tonnage ever to transit the interoceanic waterway.The passage of the ship, 208,000 gross tons and with capacity for approximately 6,700 passengers, took place as part of her positioning voyage.
Major carrier CMA CGM has announced its INDAMEX service will transit Suez Canal on fronthaul and backhaul voyages between India/Pakistan and US East Coast in a notable step towards a largescale return of container ships to the Red Sea region.The first vessel to complete a full service loop via Suez Canal will be CMA CGM Verdi, sailing from Karachi to New York on 15 January.
The world's largest car carrier making its maiden voyage is generally cause for celebration. But in the case of Chinese car manufacturer BYD and its mammoth new BYD Shenzhen -- a 16,300 dwt, 9200 CEU, LNG Dual-Fuel PCTC that measures 219.9 x 37.7m with a 9.2m draft -- the ship instead represents the flooding of a market with cheap electric vehicles (EVs).