Friday, April 03, 2026
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An Emirati patrol boat on display, 2025 (MZtourist / CC BY 4.0)

UN Security Council Expected to Vote Down Use-of-Force Request for Hormuz

Published Apr 2, 2026 10:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

Three of the permanent members of the UN Security Council have signaled that they do not support a motion to authorize use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New York Times. Russia and China were widely expected to oppose the measure, given their diplomatic ties to Tehran; they are reportedly joined by France, which has publicly opposed a military solution. The proposed UN Security Counsel resolution is spearheaded by Iran's neighbors in the Gulf, and...

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Anatoly Kolodkin

Russia Plans to Send Second Tanker Through U.S. Energy Blockade on Cuba

Published Apr 2, 2026 10:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

As a Russian tanker unloads in Matanzas, Cuba, breaking the de facto energy blockade imposed by the Trump administration, Moscow is said to be planning to dispatch a second tanker to repeat the much-needed crude oil delivery. The sanctioned tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at a petroleum terminal in Matanzas on March 31, making one of the few deliveries of oil to reach Cuba since the U.S. replaced Venezuelan dsictator Nicolas Maduro in January. Under Maduro, Venezuela's government supplied Cuba with...

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An IRGC minelaying boat before the conflict's start (IRGC)

How Iran Can Stop Shipping With Mines, From the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea

Published Apr 2, 2026 9:31 PM by The Strategist

[By Andy Perry] Just reports of mines are often sufficient to disrupt maritime traffic. Even if ship owners, crews and insurers weren’t aware of the missile threat in the Strait of Hormuz, news reporting of sea mines in the narrow waters would likely be enough to stop commercial traffic that Iran didn’t direct through safe passages. That goes for even the US Navy, too. A single, inexpensive mine can threaten a multi-billion-dollar warship, and no navy, regardless of technological superiority,...

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NASSCO shipyard

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

Published Apr 2, 2026 8:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

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...

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Offshore

US LNG export terminal at Sabine Pass

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...

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Shipbuilding

NASSCO shipyard

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...

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Environment

hydrogen-fueled multi-purpose vessel

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...

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Business

shipyard

MARAD Increases Funding for Grants for Small Shipyards

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) reported that it is increasing the funding pool available for the 2026 grants in the Small Shipyard Grant Program. It follows the launch of the 2026 Port Infrastructure Development Program application period last week and is part of the Trump administration's strategy to increase support for the U.S. maritime industry. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlights that the grant pool for small shipyards is being increased by 200 percent to $35 million versus June 2025, when just...

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