Legal News

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…

Oil prices jumped on Wednesday with Brent trading above $100 a barrel, erasing earlier losses following reports of gunfire attacks on at least three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $1.59, or 1.6%, at $100.07 a barrel at 0842 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 rose $1.51, or 1.7%, to $91.18. Both benchmark contracts rose about 3% on Tuesday.At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime…

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.A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat.

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, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.Amid ceasefire talks…

The IMO’s Legal Committee has approved a new set of guidelines to improve transparency and due diligence in ship registration, as well as prevent fraudulent registrations and misuse of flags. The guidelines help to close a key regulatory gap for the maritime industry, given there is currently no binding international framework to regulate the registration of ships. The newly approved Guidelines will assist new and existing flag State ship registries by providing practical measures to strengthen verification and due diligence…

The Nord Stream gas pipelines were attacked in 2022 as a direct result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, insurers told a London court on Thursday as they seek to avoid paying out nearly 580 million euros ($684 million) over blasts that hit the pipelines.Nord Stream is suing Lloyd's and Arch Insurance over explosions in September 2022 that ruptured pipelines carrying Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany.The explosions – for which no state has taken responsibility - largely severed Russian gas supplies to Europe…

The Panama Canal Authority on Thursday downplayed a report that an LPG vessel paid $4 million to jump the transit queue, saying the result reflected temporary market conditions rather than a fee set by the waterway, as the Iran war drives more traffic to the canal."The recent outcome of an auction awarded to an LPG vessel reflects temporary market shifts and is not the result of a rate set by the Panama Canal," the authority said in a statement, without confirming how much was paid out in the auction.It said auction values are driven by factors including customers' urgency…

The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal."During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade," the U.S. Central Command saidon X, adding that six vessels complied with directions from U.S.

A third Iran-linked tanker was entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday on the first full day of the U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal.As the three vessels transiting the strait were not heading to Iranian ports, they are not covered by the blockade.Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker…

Vineyard Wind has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a wind turbine-supplying unit of GE Vernova  from terminating agreements and abandoning work on a $4.5 billion offshore wind farm in Massachusetts on the eve of completion.Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Spain's Iberdrola IBE.MC and Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, filed a lawsuit this week in a state court in Boston accusing the GE Vernova subsidiary of wrongly trying to terminate their contract at the wind…

China urged calm and restraint by all sides on Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of weekend talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war.Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped to China, the top global importer of crude.Keeping the key Strait of Hormuz waterway safe, stable and unimpeded served the interest of the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference…

Oil prices surged on Monday as the U.S. moved to impose a blockade on Iranian shipping after the collapse of weekend peace talks, while the dollar rose and stocks and bonds fell.The U.S. move, aimed at putting pressure on Tehran, leaves a fragile ceasefire hanging in the balance and no end in sight to the choke on Middle East energy exports - though the mood on trading floors leaned toward hoping for a resolution.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 7% at $102 a barrel - a gain of more than 40% since the war shut navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that whatever the pressure, Britain would not be dragged into the Iran war nor be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz."We're not supporting the blockade," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that it was vital to get the Strait reopened."It is, in my view, vital that we get the Strait open and fully open, and that's where we've put all of our efforts in the last few and we'll continue to do so," Starmer said.Britain had minesweepers in the region…

Britain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, Defence Minister John Healey said on Thursday.Britain accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels…

Antarctica is the only continent without a fiber-optic connection.The technology required to get one there is available, but the creation of such infrastructure raises geopolitical questions, including its potential military use, say researchers from Germany.The US National Science Foundation has plans to build a subsea data cable link from New Zealand or Australia to its McMurdo research base in Antarctica. There’s been no update on the project under the current administration…

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, pushing global energy prices sharply higher.Iran said it would offer safe passage in coordination with its armed forces…

Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI) has launched a new billboard campaign to raise awareness of pregnant dairy heifers being shipped to Algeria.The first shipment of pregnant dairy heifers left Waterford Port for Oran and Algiers ports in Algeria on January 4, 2025, and there have been three more shipments since.“Algeria is building its dairy sector so is in need of good quality milking cows. Ironically, Algeria is, or was, a significant importer of Irish dairy,” says EFI representative Caroline Rowley.The journey involves five to seven days at sea…

Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison's Panama unit has launched an arbitration against Maersk after the takeover of two strategic ports near the Panama Canal which are at the center of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington.In a statement, Panama Ports Company (PPC) said Maersk broke a long-term contract by siding with the Panamanian government to help remove PPC from its operations at the Balboa port and replace it with a Maersk-affiliated operator."Contrary to the contract…

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and Chubb have announced six additional American insurance partners that will provide reinsurance for DFC's Maritime Reinsurance plan: Travelers, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Berkshire Hathaway, AIG, Starr, and CNA.On top of DFC’s $20 billion in rolling coverage, Chubb and these new partners will provide an additional $20 billion, bringing the total Maritime Reinsurance facility to $40 billion. The plan is designed to deliver on President Trump’s directive to help restore maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz…

Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in China that appears tied to a Panama court ruling against Hong Kong-based port operator CK Hutchison."China's recent…

Bahrain's effort to secure a U.N. resolution to authorise "all necessary means" to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz ran into new obstacles on Wednesday, underscoring divisions over how to deal with Iran's effective closure of the waterway that has resulted in the worst energy-supply disruption ever.Bahrain, which took over the presidency of the 15-member U.N. Security Council for the month of April, had circulated a fresh version of a draft resolution that dropped a previous explicit reference to binding enforcement…

Home to one of the world’s busiest transshipment hubs, Singapore is stepping up to shield its maritime sector from wildlife traffickers, with a targeted guide to help industry members spot and stop those exploiting shipping systems.The Red Flag Indicators for Wildlife Trafficking in Containerised Sea Cargo: A Summary Compendium and Guidance for the Maritime Shipping Sector in Singapore makes Singapore the first in Asia to have tailored the 2021 global version of the guide to its needs.Developed by the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia…

An environmental activist vessel deliberately collided with a Norwegian krill harvesting vessel near Antarctica on Tuesday, damaging its hull, the vessel's owner, Aker QRILL Company, said on Wednesday.The company said the Norway-flagged trawler Antarctic Sea was deliberately struck by Bandero, a 65-metre (213 ft) vessel operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.Aker QRILL said Bandero struck near the stern of its vessel, where its diesel fuel tank sits, causing minor damage."If the steel plates ... had ruptured, it could have caused a spill.