Monday, March 23, 2026
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oil spill cleanup

Mexico Seeks ID of Tanker Responsible for Oil Discharge as Cleanup Proceeds

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Hormuz

Securing the Strait: The Need to Reclaim the Disputed Islands

Published Mar 23, 2026 11:05 AM by The Maritime Executive

Predictably, given that their control over the Strait of Hormuz is their strongest negotiating card, the Iranian regime has ignored President Donald Trump's demand that they reopen the waterway to international traffic. President Trump says that constructive talks are now underway with Iran, something that Iran denies, although President Trump has followed up by suspending his threat to destroy Iran's power infrastructure. Any such attempt would no doubt in turn bring an Iranian response in kind, albeit with the power...

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Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile (Fars News / CC BY SA 4.0)

Iranians Feint an Attack on Diego Garcia

Published Mar 22, 2026 9:02 PM by The Maritime Executive

Although the incident has been accompanied by much disinformation and confusion, it is evident that on or before March 20, Iran's IRGC attempted to fire two ballistic missiles at the US Naval Support Facility on the island of Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory. US sources reported that one missile had been shot down by an SM-3 missile, probably launched from an Arleigh Burke destroyer, and that the second "broke up in flight." Having reached a range of...

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Grande Florida

Lamu Port’s Cargo Throughput Jumps by 900%, Buoyed by Shipping Disruption

Published Mar 22, 2026 8:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

With ocean carriers drawing up contingency plans for cargo destined to the Gulf region, some ports on the East African coast have gained a strategic advantage. As the Hormuz blockade persists, major shipping lines have informed customers on potential rerouting of goods, with the option of leaving containers at safer ports. One such facility is Kenya’s little-used port of Lamu, which has greatly benefitted from re-routing of cargo destined to the Gulf region. There is a rise in car carriers...

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Strait of Hormuz TSS

Little Change at Strait of Hormuz After Trump's 48-Hour Threat

Published Mar 22, 2026 5:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

President Donald Trump has given the Iranian government until Monday evening to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which he has previously said that the U.S. does not need. If Iran does not reopen the strait, Trump said, the U.S. will "obliterate" Iran's electrical power plants. For its part, Iran claims that the strait is already open - for the right ships. A trickle of tonnage is getting past, according to tracking services, most of it using an Iranian-controlled lane past...

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Offshore

Loading terminal at Ras Laffan (Matthew Smith / CC BY 2.0)

Iran's Strike on Ras Laffan Could Raise LNG Prices for Years

[By Dr. Adi Imsirovic] On March 19, Ras Laffan, the largest liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal in the world, supplying one-fifth of the world’s super-chilled fuel, was hit by Iranian missiles and drones. The Qatari terminal suffered substantial damage in the strikes – fires were raging across the gas-to-liquids facility within the complex, which covers 295 square kilometres – the size of a large city. Investments worth tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars disappeared into thin air. Damage...

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Shipbuilding

cruise ship launch

Fincantieri Floats for Viking "First Hydrogen-Powered Cruise Ship"

Fincantieri marked another milestone in cruise ship development as it floated out the Viking Libra (54,300 gross tons), which is being billed as the “world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship.” It advanced the ambitions for zero-emission shipping and the long-held vision of Viking CEO Torstein Hagen to produce a hydrogen-powered ship. According to the companies, the project has been developed with strong attention to environmental aspects to ensure the ship will be capable of navigating and operating with zero emissions, allowing...

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Environment

oil spill cleanup

Mexico Seeks ID of Tanker Responsible for Oil Discharge as Cleanup Proceeds

Mexican authorities reported over the weekend that cleanup efforts have intensified for an oil spill that it has been battling along the Gulf coast since nearly the beginning of the month. At the same time, they have said they suspect an unnamed tanker for the release and that they will continue the efforts to identify the vessel and take action under the environmental legislation. The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, told reporters in her weekly press conference that they have...

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Business

iStock

Analysis: Foreign-Flag Waiver Doesn't Put Jones Act Fleet at Risk

On March 18, 2026, the Trump administration announced the approval of a 60-day Jones Act waiver to allow foreign-flagged ship to move cargoes between U.S. ports. The Jones Act (official name: Merchant Marine Act of 1920), is a federal statute that requires the use of U.S.-flagged, U.S.-built, U.S.-owned (at least 75%) and U.S.-operated (at least 75% crewed by U.S. citizens) vessels to move any cargo between U.S. ports. The White House referenced the need to "ensure that U.S. airfields and...

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