Tankers and LNG carriers detained in the Gulf and waiting to cross Hormuz

Marine tracking data from LSEG, Kpler and MarineTraffic show that more than 150 tankers and LNG carriers remain at anchor or have delayed transit in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, especially off the coasts of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman, in the face of deteriorating security in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Shipping lines that have suspended transit through Hormuz or the Gulf

Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen (NYK) and Kawasaki Kisen have decided to stop operations through the Strait of Hormuz or keep vessels out of the area until the situation improves.

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Vessels damaged in the Strait’s environment

The March 1 escalation has seen incidents against ships and areas near the Strait of Hormuz, including:

• A Palau-flagged oil tanker struck near Khasab (Oman).
• Damage to another vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
• Impacts or fragments of intercepts in areas near Duqm (Oman) and Jebel Ali / Abu Dhabi (UAE).
• Attacks on U.S. military facilities in Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait

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Suspensions and restrictions at Gulf ports

According to Lloyd’s, several ports in the region have suspended or limited operations due to security concerns:

• The port of Jebel Ali (Dubai) has halted activity following a fire caused by debris from an aerial interception, while Ruwais has raised the security level to ISPS 2 and other Emirati ports such as Sharjah, Fujairah and Khor Fakkan remain operational.
• In Bahrain, all port operations, including pilot services, have been temporarily suspended.
• In Oman, the port of Duqm and the Asyad Dry Dock shipyard have halted activity, while Sohar, Salalah, Muscat and Mina Al Fahal remain open.
• In Qatar, the ports of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed operate with reduced traffic.
• In Kuwait, vessels have been diverted to Shuwaikh for operational reasons.

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Air restrictions in Iran, Iraq and Gulf countries

The attacks and retaliation have led to partial airspace closures in Iran and Iraq and flight diversions in several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, affecting both commercial flights and cargo transport between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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Damage to infrastructure affecting the calendar of events

Missile and drone strikes have caused damage in:

• Dubai International Airport
• Zayed International Airport (Abu Dhabi)
• Jebel Ali port area
• Hotels and urban areas

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Temporary airport closures and air restrictions have led to flight cancellations and difficulties for business travel, which is affecting congresses, trade fairs and other international events in the Emirates.

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What it may imply in the short term

Our partner specialist in maritime logistics, JCV Shipping, anticipates the following implications in the short term

• Routing changes with impact on transit times.
• Capacity adjustments.
• Possible surcharges linked to war risk or diversions (CMA has already sent an email this morning applying surcharges with immediate effect of USD 2000/ container on 20′ containers, USD 3000/ container on 40′ containers and USD 4000 per container on special equipment).
• Rapid volatility if the situation escalates.