Maersk, the container shipping giant, said on Sunday it was suspending sailings through the narrow Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf next to Iran, citing “security” reasons amid a row between the US and Iran.
The announcement came after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the strait closed and maritime agencies reported attacks on vessels in the area, AFP news agency reported.
“We are suspending all shipping in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,” the Danish company said in an online notice. “The safety of our crews, vessels and customer cargo remains our key priority,” it said.
Maersk further warned that services calling at ports in the Arabian Gulf may be subject to delays, diversions or schedule adjustments until the situation stabilizes. But receiving cargo to the Middle East region remains open, she said.
Shipping vessels targeting the Strait of Hormuz
The news comes after two tankers were attacked near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, disrupting the Strait of Hormuz, the most important maritime hub for oil and gas, Bloomberg reported.
One incident occurred north of Oman and the other further south, Britain’s Maritime Trade Center said.
State media in Oman, across the strait, confirmed on Sunday that an oil tanker off its coast had been targeted, with four crew members injured, according to AFP.
At the same time, another vessel off the coast of the UAE, also near the Strait of Hormuz, was reported to have been hit by an “unknown projectile” which caused a fire, the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said on Sunday.
MSC, another major shipping company, told its vessels in the Persian Gulf “to proceed to designated safe havens until further notice”.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz important?
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway through which nearly a quarter of the world’s marine oil reserves 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 with the Indian Ocean and lies between Iran and the Omani exclave of Musandam. Only 50 kilometers wide and no deeper than 60 meters in places, the strait is geographically vulnerable to military encroachment.
Several strategically important islands line the waterway, including Iran’s Hormuz, Qeshm and Larak. It is also home to the disputed islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which have been under Iranian control since 1971 and offer 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 was repeatedly threatened to shut her down during crises. A senior commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned again in January that Tehran could close the waterway if attacked.
