Levant News

Israeli and Lebanese leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration.Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the United States have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic breakthrough remains slim. As a result, there was no joint signing ceremony: Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed a letter approving the deal at his palace in Baabda in the presence of the U.S.

A dispute between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime boundary has obstructed energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and risks exacerbating tensions between two foes.After months of deadlock in U.S.-mediated talks, Beirut on Sunday warned against any activity in the disputed area, responding to the arrival of a vessel to develop a field for Israel. Lebanon has said the field in question, Karish, is in disputed waters. Israel denies this.Here's what you need to know about the standoff:WHAT'S AT STAKE?Gas - potentially a lot of it.Lebanon and Israel are located in the Levant Basin…

A liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier struck a Washington State wharf in 2019 because the pilot approached with excessive speed and at too steep an angle, resulting from poor bridge resource management by the Puget Sound pilot and the ship’s bridge team, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.The 741.5-foot partially loaded tanker Levant struck the Petrogas Ferndale Wharf in Puget Sound, near Ferndale, Wash., on December 15, 2019, causing more than $6.75 million in damage to the wharf and $1.5 million in damage to the vessel. The wharf’s south mooring dolphin, and the catwalk connecting it to the wharf, were destroyed and the Levant’s forward ballast tank was penetrated and flooded.

Jordan's Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), operated by APM Terminals,  is making strong progress in its transformation into a transport and logistics hub for the Levant region.The port operating company in Jordan said that this is being driven by improvements in infrastructure, capacity and digital systems spearheaded by the container port.“The port´s new platform and systems enhance Aqaba's competitiveness in the fields of industry and logistics and is transforming it into a logistical gateway for various modes of transportation across the Middle East," commented Nasser Al-Shraideh, Chief Commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)."Private-public partnerships like ACT, are key to closing the gap as they bring digital competence, investment and knowledge.

Archaeologists in Greece have discovered at least 58 shipwrecks, many laden with antiquities, in what they say may be the largest concentration of ancient wrecks ever found in the Aegean and possibly the whole of the Mediterranean.The wrecks lie in the small island archipelago of Fournoi, in the Eastern Aegean, and span a huge period from ancient Greece right through to the 20th century. Most are dated to the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras.Although shipwrecks can be seen together in the Aegean…

Production from Egypt's huge Zohr offshore gas field in the Mediterranean will reach 2.9 billion cubic feet per day by mid-2019, Italy's Eni said on Monday. Speaking at an industry event in Cairo, CEO Claudio Descalzi said the goal was to reach output of 1.8 bcf to 2 bcf per day by the end of 2018 and then ramp up to 2.9 bcf per day by mid-2019. Discovered in 2015 by Eni, the field contains an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas. Descalzi confirmed that by mid-2019, seven trains would be operating. Egypt has been seeking to speed up production from recently discovered fields, with an eye to halting imports by 2019 and achieving self-sufficiency.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) commenced strike missions in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Feb. 13. Carrier strike groups demonstrate the mobility, flexibility and power projection capability of the Navy's globally-deployed force - anytime, anywhere. The GHWBCSG operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in support of OIR demonstrate the capability of the U.S. Navy to conduct precision strikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets from multiple theaters, highlighting the flexibility of the Navy's globally-deployed force. "The precision strike operations…

CMA CGM has announced the new upgraded service offer NC LEVANT, which directly links the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon) and Northern Europe (Belgium, England, Germany), via Malta, Spain and Italy. The NC Levant service will now provide extended port coverage with a new export call in Tanger Med towards the Levant Sea, and a new import call in Algeciras towards Northern Europe. Transit times offered will be among the best on the market. The upgraded service will also cover the significant ports in the region, through our extensive feeder available in Malta, Beirut, Port Said and Algeciras. This global service will also offer transshipment opportunities towards worldwide markets, thanks to connections with other Group’s services in Malta, Tanger Med and Algeciras.

By a 98-1 vote, the Senate confirmed retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be the 26th secretary of defense Jan. 20, and Vice President Michael R. Pence administered his oath of office shortly afterward.R. Pence administered his oath of office shortly afterward. Mattis is the first retired general officer to hold the position since General of the Army George C. Marshall in the early 1950s. Congress passed a waiver for the retired four-star general to serve in the position, because law requires former service members to have been out of uniform for at least seven years to serve as defense secretary. Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. Mattis is a veteran of the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His military career culminated with service as commander of U.S.

THE Alliance and Hapag-Lloyd have announced our new enhanced port coverage in the Mediterranean - North America market. "Further to THE Alliance port coverage of the AL7 service, we are pleased to inform you that Hapag-Lloyd will continue our well-established cooperation with ZIM Lines on this service also within the Eastern Mediterranean Area," says a statement from the company. "We will continue to offer direct coverage to/from Haifa, Ashdod and Piraeus. Both services will start beginning of April 2017 with the launch of THE Alliance product (subject to completion of all relevant regulatory requirements). Fast transit times between Italy and the North American East Coast and vice versa: Addition of FOS…

Starting May 9, container shipper CMA CGM has launched the new Baltic Levant Express service, offering a direct connection between Saint Petersburg and the Eastern Mediterranean region. Dedicated to the Eastern Mediterranean region - Northern Europe trade, the new service links four major Northern European ports Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp and le Havre to the main Eastern Mediterranean ports Alexandria, Beirut, Mersin and Aliaga. Alexandria is now directly linked from le Havre in nine days.

Russian media reports that a Russian diesel-electric submarine operating submerged in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday launched Kalibr cruise missiles at  Islamic State terrorists’ (ISIL) vital facilities for first time in Syria. Agence France-Presse, citing Russian news agencies, reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the military had launched strikes in Syria for the first time from a submarine stationed in the Mediterranean. The 3M-54 Kalibr missiles were launched from the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine “Rostov-on-Don”, Defense Minister told President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s warships based in the Caspian and Mediterranean seas launched similar missiles targeting ISIL Takfiri group (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant) positions in late November.

APM Terminals, with local Jordanian partner Kawar Group, officially opened the expanded Aqaba Logistics Village (ALV) on November 12th, with a formal ceremony attended by Jordanian Prime Minister His Excellency Abdullah Ensour, the Minister of Transport His Excellency Ayman Hatahet and Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone, His Excellency Hani Mulki, among other dignitaries. The newly completed ALV Phase 2 facility includes 13,000 square meters (3.2 acres) of multi-purpose warehousing alongside 40,000 square meters (9.8 acres) of open yard. ALV Phase 2 has been designed to allow the flexibility of handling a wide variety of cargoes as regional and international trading patterns continue to evolve in the Middle East.

BIMCO’s breakfast brief, titled “The Future Of Maritime Security” is aimed at CEOs and Directors who will have an opportunity to hear more on the latest threats facing merchant vessels operating in risk prone areas, how this threat is calculated by the military, and what the industry should be doing to ensure their fleets are best equipped to face any future threats. Giles Noakes, Head of Security at BIMCO said; “With the probability of a reduced military force in the High Risk Area beyond 2016, now is the ideal time to look at all security options to ensure piracy does not return to the levels experienced between 2010 and 2012. “We…

The nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN), with its embarked carrier air wing (CVW), is the only maritime force capable of executing the full range of military operations necessary to protect our national interests. From deterrence, to humanitarian assistance, to large-scale combat operations, Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) stand ready to answer the call in all phases of conflict. Navies across the globe aspire to extend their influence by building aircraft carriers and developing deployment models that mirror what the United States has been doing for more than eighty years.

The crew of USS Constitution commemorated the bicentennial of Old Ironsides' final battle during the War of 1812, her unprecedented dual-victory over Royal Navy ships HMS Cyane and HMS Levant Feb. 20 in Charlestown Navy Yard. Constitution Sailors fired the ship's saluting battery at noon to commemorate the start of the battle, and visitors to the ship received dramatic accounts of the battle from Constitution crew members throughout the day. At sunset, the saluting gun was fired again in commemoration of the conclusion of both the battle and the War of 1812. The evening gun salute was followed by a ceremony and reception at the USS Constitution Museum. The reception opened with welcoming remarks from Cmdr. Sean D.

Following its usual summer break over August 2014, Congress came back from its five-week summer recess and spent a whopping eight days or so back in session before recessing once again, approximately a week early, to hit the campaign trail for the November elections. This essentially means that including the summer recess, Congress will have been in session for a total of about eight days between the end of July and the middle of November 2014. No wonder why Congress has not been able to accomplish much this year, to date.

Dynamar has published “INTRA-MEDITERRANEAN CONTAINER TRADES”, the latest report in its Container Trades and Markets series. Salient details and interesting findings of the new report are discussed here below. Intra-Mediterranean (2014) Container Trades is all about the 170 services operated by 40 different shipping companies deploying 275 container, Ro/Ro and multipurpose ships with container capacities of 400 to 3,000 TEU that populate the intra and coastal all Mediterranean waters. Through nearly 100 ports in 24 countries, they serve some 700 million people in frequencies of between twice and many times per month, carrying an average of 275,000 full TEU of regional trade and feeder boxes every week.

U.S. Brent crude dipped below $114 a barrel on Monday as worries about disruptions to Iraqi crude supplies began to look overdone given that exports have so far been unaffected by a Sunni Islamist insurgency. Brent was down 90 cents at $113.91 by 1336 GMT, off an intraday high of $115.66. U.S. crude for August delivery was down 54 cents at $106.29, after touching $107.45 earlier in the session. The July contract expired on Friday. Traders and analysts said that the rally had faltered as the market was becoming desensitised to the news out of Iraq.

A tanker carrying crude oil from Iraqi Kurdistan is just one day away from arriving at a U.S. port, according to ship tracking satellites, despite Washington's long-standing concern over independent oil sales from the autonomous region. The United Kalavrvta tanker, which left the Turkish port of Ceyhan in June carrying oil delivered via a new Kurdish pipeline, is due to dock in Galveston, Texas on Saturday, Reuters AIS Live ship tracking shows. A sale of Kurdish crude oil to a U.S. refinery would infuriate Baghdad, which sees such deals as smuggling, and raises questions about Washington's commitment to preventing oil sales from the autonomous region.

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG) transited through the Suez Canal marking the end of more than seven months of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO), Oct. 27. Commanded by Rear Adm. DeWolfe Miller, GHWB CSG comprises aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW 8), Destroyer Squadron 22 (CDS 22), guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). GHWB CSG deployed Feb. 15 from homeports in Norfolk, Virginia, Mayport, Florida, and Whidbey Island, Washington, as part of a routine deployment of forces.

Today in U.S. 1962 – Lt. Col. John Glenn, USMC becomes first American to orbit Earth. His flight in Friendship 7 (Mercury 6) consisted of 3 orbits in 88 minutes at a velocity of 17,544 mph with the highest altitude of 162.2 statute miles. Recovery was by USS Noa (DD-841). 1962 - USS Dixie (AD-14) rescues lone crewman aboard a sailing yawl adrift for four days. 1974 - S-3A Viking ASW aircraft (carrier jet) introduced officially, given to VS-41. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

By operating from forward locations, the Navy and Marine Corps provide President Barack Obama with options to deal promptly with global contingencies, Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of naval operations (CNO) explained during a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's defense sub-committee, adding that Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. "As we conclude over a decade of wars and bring our ground forces home from extended stability operations, your naval forces will remain on watch," Greenert said.