Ports And Maritime Organization News

Dozens of merchant ships with grains and sugar are stuck outside Iranian ports after weeks of delays as payments snags disrupt flows of goods into the country, according to trade sources and shipping data. Food is exempt from the West's sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, but the impact of the sanctions on Iran's financial system has created complex and erratic payment arrangements with international companies. The latest payment issues have led to ships being unable to discharge cargoes, with at least 40 bulk carrier ships stuck outside the major Iranian ports of Bandar Imam Khomeini and Bandar Abbas, ship tracking data on Refinitiv showed. Iran’s foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

The first crew member from one of the two Greek tankers seized by Iranian authorities in May arrived safely in Athens on Tuesday, Greek officials said.Iran has agreed to release the crews of the MT Prudent Warrior and Delta Poseidon, which it seized in May in response to the confiscation of oil by the United States from an Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece."The second captain of Delta Poseidon has arrived home, in Athens," a shipping ministry official told Reuters.The crew member is the first to return home from the total of about 48 seafarers - Greeks, Filipinos and a Cypriot - who are expected to be gradually released and replaced in the coming days, a second Greek official told Reuters.The months-long diplomatic impasse has strained relations between Athens and Tehran as tensions grow be

Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) said on Tuesday the Iranian-flagged Lana tanker ship seized in April by Greece is no longer impounded and its oil cargo will be returned to its owner, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency."With the swift and authoritative action of Iran, the Greek government finally issued an order and we are now witnessing the lifting of the ship's seizure and the return of its cargo to its owner," the PMO told Mehr.The ship, previously called Pegas and renamed Lana in March, had reported an engine problem in April.

Iran's state maritime body said on Saturday the crew of two Greek tankers seized by its Revolutionary Guards on Friday had not been detained, and were in good health and being cared for on board their vessels.Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast."The crew of the two Greek tankers have not been arrested, and all crew members ... are in good health and are being protected, and provided with necessary services while on board, in accordance with international law…

Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, Iranian state media reported, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast."The Revolutionary Guards Navy today seized two Greek tankers for violations in Gulf waters," said a Guards statement, quoted by the state news agency IRNA.It gave no further details or say what the alleged violations were.Greek authorities last month impounded the Iranian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, near the coast of the southern island of Evia due to EU sanctions.The United States later confiscated the Iranian oil cargo held onboard and plans to send it to the United States on another vessel…

Israel appears to be behind a cyberattack earlier this month on computers at Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port that caused massive backups on waterways and roads leading to the facility, the Washington Post reported on Monday.Citing unnamed U.S. and foreign government officials, the Post said the May 9 disruption of Iranian computers was presumably in retaliation for an earlier attempted cyberattack on rural water distribution systems in Israel.The Israeli Embassy in Washington did not…

Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) has allocated 36 trillion rials (about $857.2 million) allocated 36 trillion rials ($857.2 million) to develop the country's maritime industry, including the construction of 83 vessels.Mohammad Rastad, head of PMO said that PMO has taken significant measures regarding the improvement of the country’s maritime industry.The maritime industry transformation plan was prepared by the Ministry of Transportation and Urban Development in collaboration with the Defense Ministry back in 2019.According to Rastad, the plan which has already begun is mainly focused on improving the country’s ports and maritime fleet.The program includes a project for the construction of 40 vessels…

Iran and Syria have signed an agreement on mutual maritime cooperation during  the sixth round of joint maritime committee meeting on the maritime and port cooperation.The Managing Director of Iran's Maritime and Port Organization (PMO) Mohammad Rastad, and the Syrian Deputy Minister of Maritime Transportation Mohammad Ammar Kamal Al-Din, signed the agreement.The agreement has emphasized the expansion of maritime cooperation, as well as maritime education and training together with increasing maritime transportation through the shipping lines of both countries.The memorandum also emphasized the increase in maritime transport through the shipping lines of the two countries…

Mohammad Rastad, Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development said that foreign trade ships that transport goods to Iran can be confident that there will be no problem for their movement and there is no obstacle for their arrival in the country.Managing Director of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization Mohammad Rasta said that commercial ships carrying cargo to Iranian ports enjoy safety in light of the security provided by Iran for territorial waters.According to Iran government,  there is no concern over movement for Iranian fleet in foreign ports or for foreign ships importing goods to Iranian ports.According to the state media, Mohammad Rastad stated: ""Currently, all the ports in our country continue to serve various types of ships and are discharging or loading cargo.

Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran has announced the approval of the Marine Structures Licensing Committee with the extension and licensing of operation for 8 offshore structures in the north and south of the country.The Director General of the Ports Engineering of PMO Mohammad Khalili stated that after reviewing the applicants' documents, which were obtained through the Comprehensive Management and Monitoring System of the Iranian Coast, the committee approved with establishment of 4 recreational dock in Guilan province and 2  Dock post at Qeshm Island.He also cited renewal of construction permit for SPM installation in Qeshm Island…

According to notices given by international organizations to Iran by January 1st, all Iranian vessels must use low-sulfur fuel, otherwise they may face many consequences.Jalil Eslami, the Deputy Director of Maritime Affairs of Ports & Maritime Organization (PMO). warned: "As a sovereign body, we are obliged to declare the necessities of using low sulfur fuel and international issues, and in this regard all the necessary actions have been taken. Therefore, within the time-frame notified to all Iranian vessels, they should use low Sulfur fuel by January 1, 2020."Numerous meetings have been held between the Ports and Maritime Organization…

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday he expected the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, seized by Iran in July, to be released after the completion of legal procedures in his country."The tanker is going through the final court proceedings. I predict that it will be released," Rouhani said at a news conference in New York during the United Nations' annual gathering of world leaders.The ship's owner, Stena Bulk of Sweden, said on Wednesday the vessel was still being held in Iran despite the lifting of a detention order on the tanker by Tehran.Stena Bulk said it was not in negotiations with Iran and was not aware of…

Ports are essential for the global supply chain - but do they need more international regulation?High-level speakers engaged in a lively debate at a joint Hutchison Ports, International Maritime Organization (IMO) and IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) seminar (9 September), to address the question: "Do ports need international regulation?"IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim reminded the audience that the IMO Convention does give the Organization a mandate to regulate in ports and some current IMO regulations do indeed extend to port operations - for example those surrounding security, reception facilities and the Facilitation (FAL) Convention."However…

Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) consented to the construction and of a recreational harbor in Mazandaran province.Mohammadtaghi Ananzorp, the Director General of Ports and Maritime of Mazandaran Province, stated that the committee for the licensing of maritime structures of the Ports and Maritime Organization agreed on the establishment and construction of a Recreational Harbor in the coastal strip of Izadshahr in Mazandaran province.He added that all natural and legal persons applying for the issuance of permits for offshore structures can register through the sm.pmo.ir system to obtain permission from the Maritime Licensing Committee of the Ports and Maritime Organization.Meanwhile…

Iran and Iraq have agreed to solve the issue of dredging of Arvand River (Shatt al-Arab) in Iranian southwestern city of Khorramshahr in Khouzestan.Based on the agreement reached, it was decided to establish a temporary technical committee with the aim of providing the preconditions for joint dredging of Arvand River, said Fars News Agency."It is expected that more technical meetings with Iran and Iraq experts will be held for dredging operations at Arvand river in the upcoming ten days," said Alireza Khojasteh, Director General for Maritime Safety & Marine Environment Protection Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran.The Task Force will conduct technical studies on Arvand dredging by holding regular meetings every two weeks and present its proposals to the Joint Meeting.

Iran's Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Rastad is in talks with Vietnamese officials with the aim of improving trade and connectivity capacities between the two countries.According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the managing director of the Ports and Maritime Organization met Vietnamese national shipping authorities during a visit to Vietnam and discussed the trade and communications capacities of the two countries. The discussions focused on the launch of a shipping line between ports of the two countries.Rastad also met with the Deputy Minister of Transportation during his visit to Vietnam and talked through the trade and communications capacities of the two countries on the development of port and maritime cooperation.

Abadan, Arvandankar and Choabdeh ports experienced an increase of 56% in 2018, says Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).Abadan ports and maritime management announced that the export of goods from the three ports of Abadan in the past year has shown a  growing trend.According to the information system, the exports from these ports increased by 39.471 tons in the same period last year which shows a growth of 56.3% in exports, it said.Agricultural products, meat and meat products, household appliances and light products, machinery and vehicles, raw materials and chemical compounds, construction materials, petrochemical, parts and accessories…

Iran's Port of Anzali announced the start of operation and Exploitation of three investment projects in its port complex.According to HamidReza Abaei, the Director General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Gilan province, Iran, began operations last week with the President's visit with the presence Mohammad Eslami, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and Mohammad Rastad, the managing director of the Ports and Maritime Organization.Abaei stated that the creation of new infrastructure and facilities for attracting trades in Anzali port is on the agenda of the Directorate General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Gilan province.Also increasing the infrastructure of Anzali complex by constructing and operating three new quays (quays No. 11 to 13) with a credit of 650 billion Rls.

Iran's armed forces will protect Iranian oil tankers against any threats, an Iranian military official said on Monday after the United States called the ships a "floating liability" and warned ports operators not to allow them to dock.The United States resumed sanctions on Iran's oil, shipping and banking industries last Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 international agreement curbing Iran's nuclear programme in May."Iran's armed forces...are prepared…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work to promote better understanding of - and steps to reduce - emissions in ports has reached Georgia, at a workshop for regional participants from Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey.The event, in Batumi (10-12 September) focused on how to undertake emissions inventories and calculate emissions, including  GHGs and air pollutants. Participants were also introduced to strategies to address emissions from different sources – such as from seagoing vessels, cargo handling equipment and trucks.The workshop benefited from a training package, specially developed under the strategic partnership between the…

The operationalizing of three investment projects will begin in Shahid Beheshti port of Chabahar this week, said a communication from the Iran government.Behrooz Aghaee, Director General of Ports and Maritime Affairs of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, announced the operationalization of three investment projects with the presence of the deputies of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and members of the board of directors of the Ports and Maritime Organization at Shahid Beheshti port of Chabahar.Three investment projects of construction of oil products reservoirs, LPG storage tanks and ship waste collection, with a total investment of over 1…

Qatar is planning to increase maritime shipping lines between with Iran, reported Iran's official media quoting Hadi Haqshenas, deputy head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) for Maritime Affairs.According to Fars News Agency, Hadi Haqshenas announced: "The Qataris who met the demand for their goods from Saudi Arabia and the UAE before (the siege and sanctions) have now requested increased maritime shipping between Iran and Qatar to bolster mutual trade."He added that his country is now witnessing an eye-catching growth in shipping lines between the Iranian and Qatari ports.Goods which are transited from Turkey and other adjacent countries to Qatar can also use the proper shipping lines at Bushehr port to carry goods to the Qatari ports…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)  has provided fellowships to ten female officials attending a Port Senior Management Programme held at the Galilee International Management Institute (GIMI) in Nahalal, Israel, (14 -27 November). "A successful and well-run port contributes to the sustainable economic development of its region. But what is also an economic no-brainer is female empowerment. We provide fellowship to address both these points," said a statement from IMO.The two-week course provides participants with key information and updates on innovations in the port industry. Subjects covered include global trends and advances…