containership linked to Iranian interests

Denmark Detains Shadowy Boxship Linked to Iran Questioning Registration

A fighter takes off from the deck of carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (USN file image)

Step Change in U.S. Reinforcements Headed Towards Iran

Published Feb 18, 2026 11:11 PM by The Maritime Executive

Up until now, reinforcements to the US force posture in the Middle East can safely have been described as strengthening defensive posture, particularly air defense posture, while ensuring that there is adequate capacity in place to respond to an Iranian first-strike or provocation. Indeed, some pundits have described the reinforcements last week as merely bring force levels back up to those prevailing in recent decades, before some assets were withdrawn in a pivot away from the Middle East towards the...

Fincantieri to Build Landing Ship Medium Alongside Bollinger

Published Feb 18, 2026 11:11 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Navy says that two yards will begin building the new Landing Ship Medium (LSM), the Marine Corps' new beach-capable transport. The service said that it will be hiring a third-party vessel construction manager (VCM) to oversee the project and decide on future construction awards. Bollinger was previously awarded a contract for engineering and long-lead-time procurement in September. Fincantieri - which recently lost almost all contracts for the delayed Constellation-class frigate - has been selected as an additional shipyard...

NGOs Warn Against Discharging Green Ammonia Fuel Wastes at Sea

Published Feb 18, 2026 9:50 PM by The Maritime Executive

Every engine room makes wastewater, but carbon-neutral, green ammonia-fueled engines will likely make something new - a concentrated waste solution of ammonia in water, like window cleaner but much stronger. Ammonia effluent will be a new challenge for shipping and its regulators to deal with in the years ahead, and a new source of debate. Industry advocates are interested in a conditional-discharge approach that would allow ships to release the waste at sea, economically, as is done with bilge water....

India's Fleet Review Begins, With Iran Present But Not the U.S. Navy

Published Feb 18, 2026 8:05 PM by The Maritime Executive

The International Fleet Review being hosted by the Indian Navy has been getting underway in the port city of Visakhapatnam, home of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command. Visak, as it is known, is also India’s shipbuilding capital. The interlinked series of exercises commenced on Thursday February 18 with a review of the ships participating by India’s President, and will be followed by parades ashore and then Exercise Milan-2026 over February 19 to 26 at sea in the Bay of Bengal,...

Shipping

From Compliance to Foresight: Updating Audits to Drive Real-World Safety

If you manage ships, you already pay handsomely for compliance—ISM verifications, statutory checks, Port State Control (PSC) readiness, and a thicket of customer and vetting requirements. Yet incidents keep emerging not from a single broken rule, but from the seams between systems, people, and procedures. That is the audit paradox: the more we prove we are “compliant,” the more we risk missing how the ship will actually behave under stress. The question for owners and operators is whether audits can...

Tugs & Salvage

Salvors Finish Defueling Grounded Barge at San Juan's Harbor Entrance

The U.S. Coast Guard and commercial salvors have completed the removal of the last bits of recoverable fuel from the grounded barge at the entrance to San Juan's harbor, the service confirmed Tuesday. The barge Defiant broke away from its towing vessel on February 9 in foul weather. It ran aground that afternoon at a position next to San Juan's harbor entrance, right at the foot of the El Morro fortress. The barge landed between a manmade breakwater and a...

Government

drug smuggling boat north of Puerto Rico

Drug Smugglers Throw Cargo Overboard and Flee USCG Near Puerto Rico

The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting it was successful last week in interrupting a drug smuggling effort involving a go-fast boat in the Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Rico. Once discovered, the smugglers jettisoned their cargo overboard and were able to flee, avoiding capture by a USCG cutter. During a routine patrol Friday night, February 13, the air crew of a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft sighted a panga-style go-fast vessel. They report the boat was carrying multiple bales and...

Corporate News

Trump’s Maritime Age Supports Next Gen of America’s Maritime Workforce

[By: U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration] The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today opened applications for its Centers of Excellence program for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). Under President Trump and Secretary Sean P. Duffy, the administration is bolstering our maritime workforce and investing in research, collaboration, promotion, and policy support. “Our Centers of Excellence provide the critical infrastructure to train the next generation of maritime workers and enhance our shipbuilding capabilities,” said MARAD Administrator...

Cruise Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Adds Three Ships Extending Orders to 2037

Norwegian Cruise Line Holding and Fincantieri announced that they have added three more orders to an already large cruise ship orderbook, extending deliveries to 2037. It follows a trend in the industry to lock in the limited building slots at the major yards as the major cruise lines plan long-term capacity additions and fleet modernization. The new order adds three sister ships to already planned classes of cruise ships, with one ship each for Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas...

Ports

Port of Los Angeles Expects Continued Weakness After January Decline

The Port of Los Angeles foresees continued weakness in container volumes for the first quarter of 2026 after a 12 percent decline in January. However, while highlighting that it does not expect increased certainty for U.S. trade policies, it believes the rate of decline is stabilizing and is not expected to “drop off a cliff” as the U.S. moves forward in 2026. As the largest container port in the Americas, the Port of Los Angeles is viewed as a key...

Shipping

From Compliance to Foresight: Updating Audits to Drive Real-World Safety

Tugs & Salvage

Salvors Finish Defueling Grounded Barge at San Juan's Harbor Entrance

Government

Drug Smugglers Throw Cargo Overboard and Flee USCG Near Puerto Rico

Corporate News

Trump’s Maritime Age Supports Next Gen of America’s Maritime Workforce

Cruise Ships

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Adds Three Ships Extending Orders to 2037

Ports

Port of Los Angeles Expects Continued Weakness After January Decline

Offshore

Union Calls Off Strike at 19 UK North Sea Offshore Platforms

UK industrial union Unite has called off a brief offshore strike action at rig services provider Bilfinger, which would have affected up to 19 oil fields in the North Sea at the end of this week. Bilfinger UK is an engineering and maintenance contractor for the oil, gas, petchem, utility and pharma sectors, among others. Its offshore division supports some of the largest oil companies in the North Sea oil trade, including BP. During contract negotiations, the two sides had...

Shipbuilding

Mare Island Dry Dock Files Bankruptcy to Save, Reorganize Its Business

Nearly two months after saying it was likely to close after losing a key U.S. Coast Guard contract, California’s Mare Island Dry Dock (MIDD) has come forward with a new plan to save its operations. The company filed for bankruptcy on February 14, seeking to reorganize while also negotiating for a sale or partnership. “Ensuring the shipyard’s continued operation is crucial for both the shipyard itself and the community,” said Steve DiLeo, President of MIDD. “Going into reorganization is a...

Environment

Navigating the Deadlock: Accelleron’s Daniel Bischofberger on Green Fuels

Accelleron, a leading provider of turbocharging, fuel injection, and digital solutions for marine engines and ships, recently released a study on the multifaceted, multi-industry challenges slowing shipping's transition to carbon-neutral fuels. TME recently spoke with CEO Daniel Bischofberger about the current state of marine decarbonization, regional developments in Asia-Pacific, and the path forward for the industry. Can you describe the current state of shipping's transition to carbon-neutral fuels? The ships are ready, but the fuel is not. The technology exists...

Business

Report: Private Equity Bids Lining Up for Marine Engine Company Everllence

Private equity buyers are reportedly showing a strong interest in Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions), according to a report in the Financial Times. The newspaper broke the news last fall that parent company Volkswagen was working on a carve-out to sell a large portion of the company, best known for its engines that power large ships. Top private equity funds, including Blackstone, EQT, and CVC, have submitted bids in the first round, according to a report in the Financial Times....

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Denmark Detains Shadowy Boxship Linked to Iran Questioning Registration

Step Change in U.S. Reinforcements Headed Towards Iran

Fincantieri to Build Landing Ship Medium Alongside Bollinger

NGOs Warn Against Discharging Green Ammonia Fuel Wastes at Sea

India's Fleet Review Begins, With Iran Present But Not the U.S. Navy

From Compliance to Foresight: Updating Audits to Drive Real-World Safety

Salvors Finish Defueling Grounded Barge at San Juan's Harbor Entrance

Drug Smugglers Throw Cargo Overboard and Flee USCG Near Puerto Rico

Trump’s Maritime Age Supports Next Gen of America’s Maritime Workforce

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Adds Three Ships Extending Orders to 2037

Port of Los Angeles Expects Continued Weakness After January Decline

Environmental Remediation at Aging Ports

Beyond Sanctions Lists: Navigating Fragmented Enforcement in Maritime Trade

The Modular Pivot: Repurposing Containers as Strategic Infrastructure

From Compliance to Foresight: Updating Audits to Drive Real-World Safety

Salvors Finish Defueling Grounded Barge at San Juan's Harbor Entrance

Drug Smugglers Throw Cargo Overboard and Flee USCG Near Puerto Rico

Trump’s Maritime Age Supports Next Gen of America’s Maritime Workforce

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Adds Three Ships Extending Orders to 2037

Port of Los Angeles Expects Continued Weakness After January Decline

Union Calls Off Strike at 19 UK North Sea Offshore Platforms

Mare Island Dry Dock Files Bankruptcy to Save, Reorganize Its Business

Navigating the Deadlock: Accelleron’s Daniel Bischofberger on Green Fuels

Report: Private Equity Bids Lining Up for Marine Engine Company Everllence

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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