Maersk, the container shipping giant, said on Sunday that it was suspending sailings through the narrow Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, next to Iran, citing “safety” reasons amid the US-Iran standoff.
The announcement came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed, and maritime agencies reported attacks on vessels in the area, news agency AFP reported.
“We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,” the Danish company said in an online advisory. “The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority,” it said.
Maersk further warned that services calling ports across the Arabian Gulf may be subject to delays, rerouting, or schedule adjustments until the situation stabilises. However, acceptance for cargo to the Middle East area remains open, it said.
Shipping vessels targeted at Strait of Hormuz
The advisory comes after two tankers were attacked near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, causing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most crucial shipping chokepoint for oil and gas, Bloomberg reported.
One incident occurred just north of Oman, with the second further south, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said.
The state media in Oman, which sits on the other side of the strait, confirmed on Sunday that an oil tanker off its coast was targeted, leaving four of its crew hurt, according to AFP.
At the same time, another vessel off the UAE’s coast, also near the Strait of Hormuz, was reported being struck “by an unknown projectile” that caused a fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre said on Sunday.
MSC, another major shipping company, told its vessels in the Gulf “to proceed to designated safe shelter areas until further notice”.
Why is Strait of Hormuz important?
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway through which nearly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil supplies pass. It also serves as a transit route for a significant amount of cargo to and from Gulf ports.
It connects the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and sits between Iran and Oman’s Musandam exclave. At just around 50 kilometres wide and no deeper than 60 metres in places, the strait is geographically vulnerable to military disruption.
Several strategically important islands dot the waterway, including Iran’s Hormuz, Qeshm and Larak. The disputed Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa islands are also located there, which are under Iranian control since 1971, offering Tehran a commanding position over passing ships.
Iran has long used the Strait of Hormuz as a geopolitical pressure point due to its strategic importance. It repeatedly threatened to shut it down during crises. A senior commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned again in January that Tehran could shut the waterway if attacked.
