MSC Ishyka Manuel Hernandez Lafuente Vesselfinder 2015

Iran Claims to Have Hit an MSC Container Ship in the Mideast

The IRISL-operated container ship Rayen (IMO 9820245) (VesselFinder/Ya Ray Yang)

Amidst War, Iran's Merchant Fleet is Enjoying Boom Times

Published Apr 5, 2026 2:35 PM by The Maritime Executive

The merchant marine tends to sail on regardless in time of war, notwithstanding the risk. As the risk goes up, so do cargo rates. And so also does demand for the goods being carried. For ships of the Iranian merchant navy, dominated by the state-owned but US-sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its subsidiaries, the current war is no exception. Business is booming. The immediate evidence is on show in Iran’s ports. Since the start of the...

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Published Apr 5, 2026 1:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

Conflict in Ukraine, over the last several years in the Near East, and now over Iran, has done nothing to undermine a truth established in warfare for centuries: success cannot be achieved unless the winning side has sailors who are well-trained, tenacious and skillfully led, this moral and human component to fighting capability often being overlooked. But at the same time, recent experience in particular demonstrates that the ability to innovate technically – at a pace faster than one’s enemy...

Sweden Charges Two in Oil Pollution Case as Shadow Tanker is Investigated

Published Apr 4, 2026 3:26 PM by The Maritime Executive

Swedish prosecutors reported that they have now filed charges against two of the crewmembers aboard a shadow fleet tanker related to an oil pollution incident in the Swedish EEZ. At the same time, the Swedish Coast reports it continues to investigate the seaworthiness of the product tanker Flora 1, which was detained on April 3. The shadow fleet tanker, which has had a series of names and flags, is sanctioned by the EU, UK, and others for its role in...

Italian Navy Surges Ahead with Carrier TB-3 Strike Drones

Published Apr 4, 2026 2:47 PM by The Maritime Executive

Last year, The Maritime Executive reported on the Turkish Navy and drone manufacturer Bayraktar’s apparent success in mounting TB-3 strike drone missions from the deck of TCG Anadolu (L400), the Turkish Navy’s amphibious assault ship. During Exercise Sea Wolf 2025 held in the Eastern Mediterranean in mid-May 2025, Bayraktar’s TB-3 navalized drones, an upgraded version of the widely-exported TB-2 drone but featuring a retractable undercarriage and folding wings to permit below deck hangar storage, were seen conducting take-offs and landings...

Shipping

RFS Stoykiy (Russian Ministry of Defense file image)

Lone Russian Corvette Flies the St. Andrew’s Flag in the Med

At a time of active conflict involving both Lebanon and Israel, and when the French Navy has deployed at full strength to prevent further attacks on the British Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus, the strength of the Mediterranean Flotilla has sunk to a single ship flying the St. Andrew’s Flag of the Russian Navy. On March 31, the Improved Kilo (Project 636.6) class submarine RFS Krasnodar (B-265) and its shadowing tug Altay (IMO 4622404) passed westwards back through the Strait...

Tugs & Salvage

Human Remains Reportedly Found on Thai Bulker Attacked by Iranians

The Thai shipping company Precious Shipping reported on Friday, April 3, that human remains had been located aboard its vessel, the Mayuree Naree, more than three weeks after the ship was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. The company had reported that three crewmembers were missing after the attack, and the ship was abandoned. The company had previously said it appeared unlikely that the crewmembers would be located. The Royal Omani Navy rescued 20 crewmembers who abandoned the ship, with...

Government

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Corporate News

Maine Maritime Academy Welcomes Historic Arrival of T/S State of Maine

[By: Maine Maritime Academy] Maine Maritime Academy, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), TOTE Services, and Hanwha Philly Shipyard, on March 31 welcomed the training ship State of Maine, one of the nation’s newest National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV), during a formal delivery ceremony at Ocean Gateway. The vessel arrived in Portland Harbor on March 21, where it was greeted by a ceremonial water salute marking its first entry into port. The State of Maine...

Cruise Ships

TUI Orders First Methanol River Cruise Ships as Sector Growth Continues

River cruising continues to be one of the hottest segments in the cruise industry, with strong growth continuing, especially in the European market. Analysts report there are over 380 river cruise ships currently sailing, with an additional 10 percent currently under construction and continuing new orders. The UK division of Germany’s TUI Group announced that it has ordered two more new builds, and these ships are being designed and built for the next generation of alternative fuels. The company reports...

Ports

Boxship Departing Taiwan Clips Docked Ship Sending Containers into Harbor

Operations were briefly interrupted on Wednesday, April 1, at the Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, after a departing containership clipped a docked vessel. The port authority suspended operations while four containers that fell into the harbor could be secured. The Port Authority reports the containership Zeal Lumos (158,097 dwt) had been cleared for departure at 1100 on the first. The vessel, which is managed by Zodiac Maritime and registered in the UK, is operating under charter to Ocean Network Express (ONE)....

Shipping

Lone Russian Corvette Flies the St. Andrew’s Flag in the Med

Tugs & Salvage

Human Remains Reportedly Found on Thai Bulker Attacked by Iranians

Government

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Corporate News

Maine Maritime Academy Welcomes Historic Arrival of T/S State of Maine

Cruise Ships

TUI Orders First Methanol River Cruise Ships as Sector Growth Continues

Ports

Boxship Departing Taiwan Clips Docked Ship Sending Containers into Harbor

Offshore

QatarEnergy’s U.S. LNG Plant Achieves First Production at Critical Time

Just as the world is looking for alternative sources of LNG, Golden Pass LNG in Texas reported it has achieved first production. The project, which has been in planning and development for 15 years, is set to start export shipments in the second quarter, coming online to help fill some of the shortfall from Qatar and the Middle East. The United States is already setting records for LNG shipments and has been rivaling Qatar for the title of the largest...

Shipbuilding

Samsung Heavy Industries Participates in Its First U.S. Navy MASGA Project

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries announced that it will be participating in its first U.S. shipbuilding project, working with General Dynamics NASSCO and DSEC. It is a design project that is being billed as part of the South Korean program launched last year, calling for a $150 billion investment project known as Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA). The project is for the refining of the design of the future “Next Generation Logistics Support Ship,” which the U.S. Navy...

Environment

Japan Demonstrates Hydrogen-Fueled Engine for Large Commercial Vessels

Japan reports a breakthrough with the demonstration of a large hydrogen-fueled engine being developed by Japan Engine Corporation, working with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, for a demonstration project for an ocean-going vessel. It points out that most work so far with hydrogen is on smaller engines for coastal vessels, making this a major technological milestone toward the practical use of hydrogen-fueled vessels. While interest has developed in hydrogen, to date, the Japanese project points out that most of the initiatives are...

Business

Insurer Pays Out $350M to Dali’s Owner/Operator Before Trial Starts

The insurance company that underwrote the coverage for Maryland on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore reported to the court that it has settled with the owner and operator of the containership Dali. The first of what could be several settlements comes as the court is telling the parties to be ready to go to trial in just two months. Two years after the allision that destroyed the bridge, killed six roadworkers, and cost the Baltimore and Maryland economy...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Iran Claims to Have Hit an MSC Container Ship in the Mideast

Amidst War, Iran's Merchant Fleet is Enjoying Boom Times

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Sweden Charges Two in Oil Pollution Case as Shadow Tanker is Investigated

Italian Navy Surges Ahead with Carrier TB-3 Strike Drones

Lone Russian Corvette Flies the St. Andrew’s Flag in the Med

Human Remains Reportedly Found on Thai Bulker Attacked by Iranians

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Maine Maritime Academy Welcomes Historic Arrival of T/S State of Maine

TUI Orders First Methanol River Cruise Ships as Sector Growth Continues

Boxship Departing Taiwan Clips Docked Ship Sending Containers into Harbor

Cyber Risk in Shipping: From Technical Threat to Business Reality

Architecture of Adaptability: Designing Vessels to Stand the Test of Time

Improve Fleet Value With Digital Optimization of Cruise Ship Hotel Areas

Lone Russian Corvette Flies the St. Andrew’s Flag in the Med

Human Remains Reportedly Found on Thai Bulker Attacked by Iranians

Op-Ed: An Urgent Need for Quicker and Cheaper Naval Procurement

Maine Maritime Academy Welcomes Historic Arrival of T/S State of Maine

TUI Orders First Methanol River Cruise Ships as Sector Growth Continues

Boxship Departing Taiwan Clips Docked Ship Sending Containers into Harbor

QatarEnergy’s U.S. LNG Plant Achieves First Production at Critical Time

Samsung Heavy Industries Participates in Its First U.S. Navy MASGA Project

Japan Demonstrates Hydrogen-Fueled Engine for Large Commercial Vessels

Insurer Pays Out $350M to Dali’s Owner/Operator Before Trial Starts

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events