Two vessels were reported to have been hit by projectiles while sailing off the coast of Oman as re-escalation in fighting between the U.S. and Iran is again threatening commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Greek shipping company Dynacom Tankers said two of its managed ships were hit, causing a fire in its engine room and forcing its evacuation. British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the incident occurred as the vessel transited about 8 nautical miles northwest of Oman’s Kumzar. In his latest industry update, Craig Reilly of DASA confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed, with only four ships crossing on Sunday, and that the United Nations maritime agency said there is no safe transit and that the evacuation of stranded seafarers remains on hold.
In its Middle East Operational Update on July 16, Maersk signaled that Gulf shipping restrictions remain firmly in place. Landside bookings stay paused on key UAE/Qatar-Jeddah and Salalah/Sohar-Gulf routes, with land-bridge workarounds via Khor Fakkan, Salalah, and Aqaba continuing to absorb the shift. Ocean booking suspensions persist for Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and most UAE ports, alongside a new emergency freight rate ($1,800-$3,800 per container) for cargo moving to or from the affected region. Empty container returns for several Gulf markets are being redirected to Salalah and Jeddah depots, and Maersk has added a new Jebel Ali drop-off charge effective July 17.
IAM Member Impact: According to Craig Reilly’s latest guidance, “Nothing moves on Gulf water without confirmed security, insurer approval, and coastal-state guidance. Every quote passes through war-risk, fuel, storage, and the new empty-container charges, refreshed every 24 hours. The 21-day buffer on household-goods moves does not shrink.”
Source: g-Captain
Member Contributions: DASA International Movers