Marine Link
Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Maritime Blogs Middle East

Putin says Russia could cut off gas supplies to European markets immediately

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia could halt gas supplies to European markets and?move on to other more lucrative markets. According to EU officials and a document seen, the European Commission will present a proposal on April 15 to ban Russian oil imports permanently.

Officials say that the US struck an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka's coast.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

Three U.S. officials said that the U.S. carried out a strike which sank a warship of Iran off Sri Lankan coast and prompted the Sri Lankan navy to?rescue dozens Iranian sailors. According to one official, who spoke under condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of 'the issue…

Sources: Malta-flagged container vessel hit by projectile at Hormuz and abandoned

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

Shipping sources reported that the crew of the Maltese container ship Safeen Prestige abandoned ship after it was damaged by a projectile as it sailed towards?the top of the Strait of Hormuz? on Wednesday. Vanguard, a British maritime risk management company…

Jordan purchases 50,000 tons of feed Barley at tender, traders claim

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

European traders reported that Jordan's state grain buyer bought?about 50,000 tons of?? animal feed??? barley? on Wednesday? in an international tender looking for up to 120,000 tonnes. According to traders, the barley was reportedly purchased…

Sources say that at least 101 people are missing after the attack on an Iranian ship near Sri Lanka.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

According to sources in the Sri Lankan navy and defence ministry, at least 101 people are missing, 1 is dead and 78 others have been injured. The sources claimed that the ship has now sunk. It is unclear who was responsible for the attack. A…

Pakistan seeks Saudi oil supplies via Yanbu port after Hormuz disruption

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

The Pakistani petroleum ministry announced in a Wednesday press release that the Saudi Arabian government has requested to send oil through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping. War in the Middle East disrupts shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources say that a tanker is heading to the UAE via Strait of Hormuz, to load oil.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 4, 2026

According to shiptracking and industry sources, an oil tanker crossed the Strait of?Hormuz Tuesday to load crude in a United Arab Emirates Port. This is a rare?journey since the?Iran war disrupted Middle East shipping. LSEG data revealed that…

Trump claims that the U.S. has destroyed many Iranian naval and aerial targets

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 3, 2026

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. military had been successful in destroying many Iranian air and naval targets. He said "almost everything" was destroyed. Responding to questions from reporters, Trump said that he had…

Iraq cuts oil production, and more will follow if the disruptions in Hormuz continue, Iraqi oil officials claim

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 3, 2026

Iraq has reduced oil production by almost 1.5 million barrels per day. These cuts could increase to over 3 million bpd in a few days, as the country is running out of storage space and can't export crude oil due to the Iran Crisis. Iraqi officials…

The Times reports that the UK is planning to send a warship to Cyprus to defend a military base.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 3, 2026

The Times newspaper reported on Tuesday that Britain plans to send a warship to defend its Royal Air Force Akrotiri in Cyprus against Iranian attacks. A 'drone attack' by Iran hit the runway at the Akrotiri base early on Monday morning. Britain said that UK assets were targeted.

China's WeRide stops its robotaxi fleet from operating in Dubai, as the conflict with Iran intensifies

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 3, 2026

WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving company, has suspended 'its robotaxi fleet' in Dubai due to the escalating U.S.-Israel war with Iran that is roiling key?Middle Eastern _hubs which have emerged as robotaxi industry’s most promising markets.

Indian basmati halted at ports and in transit due to the Iran war stopping new deals

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 3, 2026

Trade officials reported that about 400,000 metric tonnes of Indian Basmati rice is backed up at ports and in transit and export deals are drying up as freight rates have doubled since U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on the weekend. India is the largest exporter of aromatic basmati rice in the world.

Sources say that Greece has detained a man suspected of spying for the US Naval Base in Crete.

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

Police and intelligence sources confirmed that Greek authorities detained a 36-year old man for allegedly spying on the U.S. Naval Base?on?the island of?Crete. This base is a strategic facility in the eastern Mediterranean for the United States.

Shipping CEO: About 10% of the global container fleet is caught up in Hormuz backlog

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

Jeremy Nixon (CEO of Ocean Network Express) said that container ships accounted for about 100 of the 750 ships backed up around 'the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. Nixon told a container shipping conference in Long Beach California that "about…

Smelters in the Middle East sweat over aluminium as their cargoes are held up

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

Analysts say that disruptions to the marine traffic in the Middle East Gulf could prevent the region's aluminium smelters not only from exporting their metal but also from receiving the raw materials needed to continue producing metal. Gulf…

German shipowners' association: 25 German ships from seven companies stuck in Gulf

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

BERLIN, 2 March - At the very least, 25 ships?from 7 German maritime companies?including two?cruise ships?carrying about 7,000 'passengers' are stranded 'in 'Gulf waters 'and cannot leave the Strait of Hormuz due to security reasons. Germany's shipowners association VDR announced this on Monday…

Iran conflict disrupts shipping globally as tankers become stranded and damaged

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

The insurance companies have canceled war risk coverage on vessels in the Gulf due to the increasing conflict with Iran. This has caused at least four damaged tankers, two deaths of seafarers and 150 stranded ships around the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia purchases 794,000 metric tons of wheat through a tender

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

The General 'Food -Security -Authority (GFSA), Saudi Arabia's principal state purchasing agency, purchased around 794,000 metric tonnes of wheat on Monday in an international bid, according to the GFSA. The 655,000 tonnes sought in the tender was not met.

Ship insurers cancel their war risk coverage due to the conflict in Iran

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

A number of marine insurers have announced that they are cancelling their war risk coverage for ships because of the conflict in the Gulf and Iran. According to notices posted on their websites dated March 1, insurers such as?Gard?, Skuld?, NorthStandard?…

Fuel assessments from Platts report that the Iran conflict has disrupted some Middle East oil supplies

Posted to Maritime Reporter on March 2, 2026

S&P Global Platts, a company that reports oil prices, has suspended bids and offers to assess the price of Middle East refined products transiting the Strait of Hormuz due to the shipping disruptions resulting from the U.S./Iran conflict. The note was sent on Monday.