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Iran's use of a swarm of small, fast boats to seize two container ships near the Strait of Hormuz could undermine suggestions U.S. forces have disabled its naval threat and reveals the challenges facing reopening one of the world's most important oil export routes.U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday acknowledged that while Iran’s conventional navy had been largely destroyed, its "fast-attack ships" had not been considered much of a threat.He said any such vessels coming near a U.S.

Brent crude futures climbed more than $1 a barrel on Thursday following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to attack ships laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, casting doubt on the survival of a ceasefire in the war with Iran.Brent crude futures were up $1.26, or 1.24%, to $103.17 a barrel at 9:19 a.m. CDT (1419 GMT) after settling above $100 for the first time in more than two weeks on Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate futures were up 72 cents, or 0.77%, at $93.68.Iran flaunted its tightened grip over the Strait of Hormuz with video of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship…

Navy Secretary John Phelan has been fired, a U.S. official and a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, in another wartime shakeup at the Pentagon coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ousted the Army's top general.The Pentagon announced his departure in a brief statement, saying he was leaving the administration "effective immediately." But it did not provide a reason or say whether it was his decision to go.His firing was first reported by Reuters.The sources…

The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.Washington has imposed a blockade on Iran's trade by sea while Iran has fired on ships to prevent them sailing through the Strait of Hormuz waterway at the entrance to the Middle East Gulf. Nearly two months after the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran…

Iran said it had captured two container ships seeking to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after firing on them and another vessel, in its first seizures since its war with the United States and Israel began in February.Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the seizures and added its Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy had warned that any disruption to order and safety in the strait would be considered a "red line."The seizure of one of the ships, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca…

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to integrate the Patriot missile, an Army missile interceptor, into the U.S. Navy's Aegis combat system, a milestone the company said on Tuesday marks the first time the weapon will be fielded at sea.Reuters was first to report in October 2024 that the Navy was moving forward with plans to arm its vessels with Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors, driven by fears that China would deploy hypersonic…

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained broadly halted on Tuesday with only three ships passing the waterway in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed.A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has infuriated Tehran, prompting it to maintain its own restrictions on the strait, which had been typically handling roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply.The Ean Spir products tanker, which had no known flag or known ownership, sailed through Hormuz on Tuesday after previously calling at an Iraqi port…

Saildrone has announced its newest platform, Spectre. At 52 meters (170 feet) long, weighing 250 tonnes, and capable of up to 30 knots, Spectre is a high-endurance USV designed to deliver multi-mission effects above and below the surface. Spectre’s design is engineered from the keel up for long-range, quiet, persistent operations.Spectre is Saildrone’s largest, fastest, and most capable platform to date.The US Navy is facing unprecedented challenges in maintaining maritime superiority across numerous regional hotspots simultaneously, says the company.

The Iranian-flagged container ship Touska, which was boarded and seized by U.S. forces on Sunday, is likely to have what Washington deems dual-use items that could be used by the military onboard, maritime security sources said on Monday.The small container ship, which is part of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) group that has been hit with U.S. sanctions, was boarded on Sunday off the coast of Iran's Chabahar port in the Gulf of Oman and last reported its position at 1308 GMT, according to ship-tracking data on the Marine Traffic platform.The U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search for a missing cargo vessel that experienced engine failure on Wednesday near Saipan in the Western Pacific, part of the Mariana archipelago. The overturned vessel was sighted by the airplane crew about 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan, approximately 100 nautical miles northeast of the last known position of the cargo vessel Mariana.U.S. Coast Guard aircrews, a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew, and a Japan Coast Guard aircrew are slated to fly in support of continued search efforts. The crew of U.S.

The quest to rebuild the U.S. icebreaker fleet is an international affair, and part of the project centers on Jim Carr, SVP Engineering, Seaspan Shipyards, and his team that is serving as a design and expertise hinge for construction of the USCG Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program to be built at Rauma Marine Constructions and Bollinger Shipyards. Carr has had a long and distinguished career across major U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs, and he shares with Maritime Matters insights on the promise and challenges…

Last August, U.S. Navy officials carrying out a test of unmanned vessels realized they had hit a single point of failure: Starlink. A global outage across Elon Musk’s satellite network affecting millions of Starlink users had left two dozen unmanned surface vessels bobbing off the California coast, disrupting communications and halting operations for almost an hour.The incident, which involved drones intended to bolster U.S. military options in a conflict with China, was one of…

As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.The U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines as part of efforts to end Iran's disruption of shipping, which has severely curbed global energy supplies since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran at the end of February.But while the U.S.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said on Wednesday its Fincantieri Marine Group unit has won a $30 million contract with the U.S.

Fincantieri has secured its first contract under the U.S. Navy’s Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program, marking an early step in what could become a 35-vessel procurement central to future expeditionary operations.The $30 million award to Fincantieri Marine Group covers long-lead materials procurement and engineering work for the first four vessels. The contract enables the yard to begin early-stage industrial preparation, with construction expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.The LSM program is designed to support distributed maritime operations…

More than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.Reuters could not immediately verify the report.Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. military's Central Command said no ships have made it past a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and coastal areas, and six merchant ships have followed orders to turn back.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S.

The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) was commissioned in Norfolk, Virginia, April 11, 2026.Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) was commissioned before a crowd of approximately 1,800 guests, including senior military leaders, Sailors, Marines, veterans and family members.“This is the first vessel to bear the name of a Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient, and Col Barnum’s actions…

The Spanish shipyard C.N.P. FREIRE, S.A. (Freire Shipyard) held the launch ceremony of the diving support vessel, hull number 739, built for the Armada Logistics Support Command: A22 Proserpina in Vigo. Delivery is scheduled for later this year.The ceremony was presided over by the shipyard's General Managers, Marcos and Guillermo Freire, accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the Armada (AJEMA), His Excellency Antonio Piñeiro Sánchez. Also in attendance were civil and military authorities.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that any Iranian "fast-attack" ships that go near a U.S. maritime blockade on Iran would be eliminated.Trump made the threat shortly after the U.S. blockade on vessels entering and departing Iran had been due to come into effect at 1400 GMT on Monday.Describing Iran's navy as "completely obliterated" during the six-week-long war between the U.S. and Iran, Trump posted on Truth Social: "What we have not hit are their small number of…

A new multi-million dollar Security and Rescue Training Center (SRTC), the first commercial facility of its kind in the world, is set to be built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will serve as a regional hub for advanced, first-class, certified mission-based training for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), law enforcement, special forces, and commercial enterprises across the world.Created by investment firm Sahra Group, the facility, opening in 2028, will be constructed and operated in partnership with leader in solutions for aircrew training and simulation, AMST Group.

The Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have shattered a status quo that prevailed among Middle East oil and gas producers for decades. Even if the current, shaky ceasefire holds, the uneasy “new normal” has likely set the stage for yet another round of conflict.Tehran has now demonstrated both its ability and willingness to seal off the critical waterway and strike vital infrastructure across the region, fundamentally altering the risk calculus for its neighbours…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after marathon talks with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire.The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.It would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas…

Babcock International Group (Babcock) has agreed a two‑year extension to the Future Maritime Support Programme (FMSP) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), ensuring the continued delivery of vital fleet and infrastructure support for the Royal Navy’s surface ships.The agreement maintains the full scope of the existing FMSP contract, covering ship engineering delivery and management for Type 23 frigates, amphibious warfare ships, Sandown minehunters and landing craft vessels.This work continues to be delivered primarily through Babcock’s facilities at Devonport and Rosyth…