Red Sea News

A fire broke out aboard the mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) while the ship was pierside at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain at approximately 8 p.m. local, March 14, the U.S. Navy said. No personnel injuries were reported.The ship declared the fire out at approximately 9 p.m. local, and Sailors continued to cool hot spots to prevent a reflash.The extent of the damage is being assessed, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.Sailors aboard Devastator…

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) on Sunday clarified that its very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Abqaiq was not breaching the US sanctions on Venezuela.Earlier, the US Senator Marco Rubio accused Bahri of trying to sell diluents to the Venezuelan regime."Abqaiq is in ballast condition with no cargo onboard and on her way from the Red Sea to pick up a cargo from the Port of Jose Terminal in Venezuela for one of its regular customers in India," said a statement…

Partners in the world’s largest operational agreement between shipping companies have agreed to extend their alliance until 2027.The Ocean Alliance, consisting of CMA CGM Group, COSO SHIPPING, Evergreen and OOCL, was launched in 2017 for an initial period of five years with an option for a five-year renewal.The partners confirmed they will extend to the alliance's full 10-year duration, during a signing ceremony in Hainan, China on Thursday.Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group…

Egypt reopened five ports on Thursday that it had shut due to bad weather as conditions improved and winds stabilized, the Red Sea Ports Authority said.Several Egyptian port cities and the capital Cairo were hit by a severe sandstorm on Wednesday, which prompted the closure of several ports.The ports of Alexandria and Dekheila on the Mediterranean in the Alexandria governorate, which had been shut since Sunday, reopened at 1330 local (1130 GMT), Reda Ghandour, a spokesman for the Alexandria Port Authority, said.He said the decision to reopen the ports was made after wind speed, wave height and

The world’s largest operational agreement between shipping companies Ocean Alliance -CMA CGM, COSCO SHIPPING, Evergreen and OOCL - has announced the launch of their Ocean Alliance Day 3 Product starting April 2019."Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, signs with his partners the launch of Ocean Alliance Day 3 Product, which will start in April 2019," said a press release from the shipping group.On the occasion of this announcement, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group…

Egypt had previously closed four ports on the Red Sea and two on the Mediterranean due to bad weather, officials said on Sunday.Over the weekend, the ports of Suez and Zeitiyat were shut in Suez governorate, the Red Sea Ports Authority said. Adabiya and Ain Sokhna ports, in the same governorate, also closed, a source at the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone said.Today, Egypt reopened four ports on the Red Sea on Monday, a day after they were closed due to bad weather conditions, authorities said.

Egyptian authorities reopened five ports on the Red Sea on Monday, a day after they were closed due to bad weather conditions, the Red Sea Ports Authority said.The two major ports of Alexandria and Dekheila on the Mediterranean Sea remained closed, said Reda al-Ghandour, spokesman for the Alexandria Port Authority."Strong winds and high waves do not allow the safe passage of speedboats and the ascent and descent of the guide onto ships," Ghandour said on Sunday, adding it affected the arrival and departure of ships in the two ports.By Lena Masri

The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) interdicted a shipment of narcotics aboard a stateless vessel while conducting maritime security operations in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 27.Chung-Hoon’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team seized over 11,000 pounds of hashish while conducting a flag verification boarding.“We have been conducting maritime security operations along suspected maritime smuggling routes in order to interdict illicit shipments into Yemen and Somalia,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brent Jackson, commanding officer of Chung-Hoon.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) interdicted a shipment of narcotics aboard a stateless vessel while conducting maritime security operations in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 27.Chung-Hoon’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team seized over 11,000 pounds of hashish while conducting a flag verification boarding.“We have been conducting maritime security operations along suspected maritime smuggling routes in order to interdict illicit shipments into Yemen and Somalia,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Brent Jackson, commanding officer of Chung-Hoon.

Monjasa expects a 200,000mts volume increase from its new supply location Djibouti. The objective is to challenge status quo and provide a valid alternative to the traditional Suez and Jeddah bunker markets.Strategically located at the mouth of the Red Sea, Djibouti is fast developing into an attractive bunker destination on the busy Suez waterway. Improved maritime infrastructure and heavy investments in port developments are expected to further advance trade going in and out…

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…

THE Alliance members Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express(ONE) and Yang Ming have published details of a rationalised revamped network for east-west trades effective from next year.The forthcoming THE Alliance products of 29 services will cover 76 ports in Asia, Europe including Mediterranean, North and Central America, the Middle East, Red Sea and Indian Subcontinent, said a joint press release.Deployment of over 249 efficient container ships with expanded capacity, offering improved service coverage…

Hepburn and Sons LLC team has welcomed CAPT Timothy Crone as its newest Director. CAPT Timothy Crone, USN (Ret) will serve as Hepburn’s Director, Advisory Services.CAPT Crone, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the US Naval Academy and completed a Master of Science in Justice, Law and Society from American University. He has also received a Master of Arts in National Security Policy and Strategic Studies from the U.S.

On November 3 the Stena Imperial reported a suspected pirate approach while on northbound passage through the Red Sea west of Yemen on her way from Far East to Rotterdam for discharge.Two suspicious skiffs were found approaching Stena Imperial from the port side at a distance of 1.5 nautical miles. The alarm was raised and the Master and the on board security team mustered on the bridge. Hand flares were fired towards the skiffs as warning shot as they were continuously approaching towards the vessel.

The offshore converter platform, BorWin gamma, has now safely set sail from Dubai and begun its journey to  its offshore site in the German part of the North Sea.Through the Gulf of Oman, the 18,000 ton ‘topside’ will pass into the Red Sea before going through the Suez Canal onto the Mediterranean and past Gibraltar. The journey then moves through the Bay of Biscay, to the English Channel and into the North Sea where it will be integrated with the ‘jacket’ nearly 130 kilometres off the German coast.Along with BorWin3…

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard completed a trilateral exercise with Iraqi navy and Kuwaiti navy partners in the Northern Arabian Gulf, August 15.The exercise focused on improving collective proficiency in maritime security tactics between the three nations and ensuring the freedom of navigation throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Participants included the guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), U.S. coastal patrol ships USS Tempest (PC 2) and USS Chinook (PC 9), U.S.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it has resumed all oil shipments through the strategic Red Sea shipping lane of Bab al-Mandeb.Saudi Arabia halted temporarily oil shipments through the lane on July 25 after attacks on two oil tankers by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.A statement by the Energy Ministry said shipments had resumed on Saturday."The decision to resume oil shipment through the strait of Bab al-Mandeb was made after the leadership of the coalition has taken necessary measures to protect the coalition states' ships…

Israel would deploy its military if Iran were to try to block the Bab al-Mandeb strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was suspending oil shipments through the strait, on the main sea route from the Middle East to Europe, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.Saudi Arabia and Iran are in a three-year-old proxy war in Yemen, which lies on the eastern side of Bab al-Mandeb.Yemen's Houthis…

Saudi Arabia announced last week it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandeb strait after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.To date, no other exporters have followed suit. A full blockage of the strategic waterway would virtually halt shipment to Europe and the United States of about 4.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products.Western allies backing a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen expressed concern about the attacks, but have not indicated they would take action to secure the strait.

A supertanker carrying Saudi Arabian crude has turned around near the Bab El-Mandeb strait, days after the world's top exporter said it was suspending all oil shipments through the strait following an attack by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement on two other ships.The Khuzama, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) transporting about 2 million barrels of oil, has made a U-turn and is now sailing east - ClipperData and Reuters vessel tracking data.Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Houthis in a three-year war, borders the strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two crude tankers, underscoring risks caused by the conflict in the world's top oil exporting region.Iran, in its row with the United States over sanctions, has also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the other major strategic shipping route for oil from the region and the main route for Iranian crude exports.Below are facts about region's shipping routes:Bab al-MandebAny move to block the Bab al-Mandeb…

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was suspending oil shipments through a strategic Red Sea lane after Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels attacked two tankers in the waterway, underscoring the risk of an escalation in tensions in the region.Brent crude futures rose 59 cents to $74.52 a barrel by 1008 GMT, extending their rally into a third day but falling from a 10-day high in earlier trading.Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran have been locked in a three-year proxy war in Yemen, which lies on one side of the Bab al-Mandeb strait at the southern mouth of the sea…

Yemen's Houthis attacked a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, causing slight damage, an Arab coalition said on Wednesday, after the Houthis reported targeting a Saudi warship in the area.Saudi Arabia and its coalition of Sunni Muslim allies have been fighting in Yemen for three years against the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of north Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and drove a Saudi-backed government into exile in 2014.One of the coalition's main justifications for its intervention is to protect shipping routes such as the Red Sea…