Top maritime news stories for week ended 1 August
Transits of Bab el-Mandeb drop, Indian transhipment hub plans, and dry bulk optimism - the top stories on Seatrade Maritime News in the last seven days.
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/ Freight News
Freight movement, and what it costs you
Global chokepoints and domestic corridors — what is moving, and where we can name it, what it costs.
Houthi deny Bab el-Mandeb toll plans
The Houthi blockade of Saudi ports has increased security concerns for shipping in the southern Red Sea
Two Tankers With Saudi Oil Exit Red Sea Over Weekend
By Florence Tan SINGAPORE, Aug 3 (Reuters) – Two tankers laden with Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend, while traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed following reports...
How the Damietta strike redraws the Eastern Mediterranean–Red Sea system
A single unattributed drone did in ninety seconds what two years of Houthi missiles could not: it moved the war to the safe side of the Suez Canal.
↑Transit time↓Effective fleet capacity↑Container spot rate↓Container equipment availability+4 more
LNG Carrier Hit By Iranian Attack in Strait of Hormuz
Shipping activity overnight and into August 1 appears to have been subdued in the Strait of Hormuz, with two Iranian attacks on vessels in transit.At...
↑War-risk insurance premium↑Tanker earnings↑Crude oil price↑LNG price+2 more
DisruptionOcean
Vizhinjam terminal begins handling import and export cargo
Vizhinjam International Seaport has received final customs approval to begin handling import and export cargo, expanding its operations beyond transshipment, according to DynaLiners. Until now, the Indian terminal had been restricted to handling transshipment containers. The terminal is owned by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ). MSC has also agreed to acquire a 49% […]
Yemen’s Houthis Deny Plans To Impose Fees On Ships Sailing Through Red Sea
Aug 1 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime coordination body denied on Saturday that it planned to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying no such decision had been...
DisruptionOcean
Evergreen updates rules for shipper-owned containers
Evergreen Line has updated its acceptance requirements for shipper-owned containers as part of its compliance with international economic sanctions. The carrier said it will not conduct business with individuals or companies that appear directly on applicable sanctions lists. The restriction also covers entities in which blocked persons hold an aggregate ownership interest of 50% or […]
DisruptionOcean
Civilian Vessel Sinks In Black Sea After Ukrainian Drone Attack
MOSCOW, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Two Ukrainian drones hit and sank a civilian vessel owned by Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom sailing in the Black Sea overnight, the company’s head, Alexei Likhachev,...
GasLog LNG Carrier Damaged Exiting Hormuz as UKMTO Reports Two New Attacks
A GasLog-operated LNG carrier sustained damage while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday as maritime security authorities reported two separate security incidents near the strategic waterway, highlighting the continued...
LNG carrier struck in Hormuz, tanker in near miss
Iran renews attacks on vessels transiting through the southern corridor close to the Oman coast
DisruptionMultimodal
IAG Cargo reports lower first-half revenue amid Middle East disruption
IAG Cargo reported €570 million in revenue for the first half of 2026, a 9.4% decline from €629 million in the same period last year, as disruption in the Middle East reduced available cargo capacity. Cargo tonne kilometres (CTKs) fell 12.3% year on year. However, yield per cargo tonne kilometre increased 9.8% at constant currency, […]
DisruptionMultimodal
Hapag-Lloyd Reports Temporary Suspension of Feeder Calls to Ukraine
Citing the continued deterioration of the security situation, Hapag-Lloyd announced on July 31 that feeder operators have temporarily suspended calls...
Port of Los Angeles signed MOU to evaluate future of Vincent Thomas Bridge
The Port of Los Angeles, the California State Transportation Agency and the California Department of Transportation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding launching a planning partnership to evaluate long-term options for replacing or modifying the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The agreement initiates what officials describe as a once-in-a-generation planning effort to strengthen safety, sustainability and freight […]
CENTCOM Denies Iran's Gulf Breakout Claims Saying Danger is Verbal Threats
The war of words and claims continued after several days of relative calm, with no vessels attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is making bold claim...
DisruptionRail
LBCT working around the clock to thin backlog of intermodal containers
The terminal’s president said while the logjam — the result of “technical” glitches with LBCT’s ship-to-shore cranes in June — is being reduced steadily, it could persist well into August.
Saudi Arabia Builds Maritime Coalition to Keep Red Sea Shipping Moving
Saudi Arabia convened an inaugural meeting in Riyadh on July 30 of nations interested in joining a maritime defense coalition to “enhance maritime sec...
DisruptionMultimodal
UAE Resumes Cross-Gulf Trade with Iran
A little-appreciated consequence of the all-out war that broke out in the Gulf on February 28 has been the disruption to the United Arab Emirates’ tra...
Hormuz Oil Shuttling Trade Is Picking Up Again After Lull
The oil-shuttling service that has been crucial to getting cargoes out of the Strait of Hormuz has picked up again after a recent lull, helping millions of barrels escape as Middle East hostilities escalate.
China's crude oil imports fell in the second quarter
China, the world's largest importer of crude oil, imported less crude oil in the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26) following higher crude oil prices that resulted from disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz. China's lower imports reduced global demand, softening the upward price effects from the disrupted supply through the strait.
Explainer: Iran retains coercive pricing power
New US sanctions on an Iranian marine insurer and a maritime services authority complete the picture of a sovereign-substitute transit regime at Hormuz and explain why it may outlive its own revenues.
Saudi Ships Shun Red Sea Chokepoint for Rare Africa Journey
Six Saudi oil tankers are sailing away from the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint and appeared to be embarking on an unusual trip around Africa as threats from Houthi rebels upend shipping in the Red Sea.
Splash Wrap: War-risk map widens
Splash’s Middle East coverage this week has followed the rapid expansion of maritime risk across the Gulf and Red Sea. Reporting has examined renewed US-Iran exchanges, Tehran’s attempts to reshape transit through Hormuz, and the prospect of fees or political conditions being imposed on commercial passage. In the Red Sea, Splash tracked Houthi threats against …
DisruptionOcean
Iran remains chief suspect as Damietta damage picture emerges
Iran remains the principal suspect in this week’s drone strike on two gas carriers at Egypt’s Damietta port, as inspections continue and the LNG import facility assesses when full operations can resume. The US-owned floating storage and regasification unit Energos Winter took the direct hit while alongside on Wednesday. The impact started a fire that …
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