Major global shipping companies, Maersk and MSC, have suspended operations in the Gulf following escalating security threats and reported attacks on vessels near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Maersk announced it was halting all vessel crossings through the narrow waterway, citing heightened safety concerns.
“We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority,” the Danish shipping group said in an online advisory.
The decision came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed amid rising regional hostilities. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies transit daily.
State media in Oman reported that an oil tanker off its coast was targeted on Sunday, leaving four crew members injured. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a vessel near the coast of the United Arab Emirates reported being struck “by an unknown projectile causing a fire.”
MSC, the Geneva-based global shipping giant, confirmed it had instructed vessels currently operating in the Gulf, as well as those heading toward the region, to proceed to designated safe shelter areas. The company also suspended all new cargo bookings to Middle Eastern destinations until further notice.
“As a precautionary measure, MSC has instructed all vessels currently operating in the Gulf region, as well as those en route to the area, to proceed to designated safe shelter areas until further notice,” the company said in a statement.
The suspensions are expected to disrupt global supply chains, increase freight costs, and add further volatility to energy markets already strained by the deepening Middle East conflict.
