The Horn of Africa, with principal military bases and logistic hubs (Google Earth/CJRC)

Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

IMO Passes Major Reform of Ship Registration Process

Published Apr 26, 2026 3:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has moved to seal a regulatory gap that has enabled the rise of false flagging in the shipping industry, enacting new guidelines that will determine how ships are registered. In recent years, the shipping industry has witnessed a significant surge in the number of ships flying a false flag, with Russia’s shadow fleet tankers being the main culprits. The shadow fleet employs many regulatory loopholes in order to circumvent sanctions on Russian crude oil, and...

With the Ceasefire on the Brink, Gulf States Prepare

Published Apr 25, 2026 5:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

With the ceasefire between Iran and its adversaries hanging in the balance, a lack of substantial progress in the negotiations taking place in Islamabad, and domestic mid-term pressures on President Trump to bring the war to an end, Gulf states are preparing for the worst. But they are at least hoping for the best. Their priorities are different from those of Israel and the United States, but at a minimum they need the Strait of Hormuz open to traffic without...

Maritime Executive March April 2026 promotion

The Maritime Executive's Annual Energy Edition is Now Available Online

Published Apr 24, 2026 8:29 PM by The Maritime Executive

“Strait Outa Compton" That's the witty title of View From the E.U. columnist Erik Kravets' tongue-in-cheek comparison of N.W.A's hip-hop hit from 1988 and Iran's current strategy in the Gulf. But it's not all tongue-in-cheek, as you'll find out. Give it a read. You won't be disappointed. The war in Iran is, understandably, the subject of several articles in this, our annual "Energy Exploration & Production" edition. Allen Brooks, Eye on Energy columnist, uses it as backdrop for why the...

Odfjell Advances Fleet Renewal After Committing $290M for Four Newbuilds

Published Apr 24, 2026 7:44 PM by The Maritime Executive

Norwegian shipping major Odfjell is pushing ahead with an ambitious fleet renewal program after committing $290 million for four 40,000 dwt newbuild vessels. The company announced that it has signed agreements to buy the stainless-steel vessels that are being built at Kitanihon Shipbuilding in Japan. Odfjell, which is emerging from a tough 2025 that saw disruption become the new normal for the tanker market while threats of tariffs and port fees led to rapidly changing trade flows and market expectations,...

Shipping

A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepts an Iranian tanker near the Strait of Hormuz (Central Command)

Hormuz Traffic Ticks Up With More Vessels Outbound

Traffic is picking up again in the Strait of Hormuz, despite dueling blockades by U.S. and Iranian forces, according to maritime security consultancy Windward. 19 vessels made the transit throught the waterway on April 25, most outbound and all of them broadcasting AIS - a possible sign of recovery, at least for one day. The number would have been higher if Iranian shipping interests had been unimpeded, but the U.S. Navy is working on making its naval cordon more efficient,...

Tugs & Salvage

Car Carrier Damaged in Allision With Bridge Pier at Bremerhaven

Last week, a car carrier hit a pier at the site of a decommissioned bridge at the port of Bremerhaven, tearing a long gash in the vessel's starboard side. Early on Tuesday, the 2024-built car carrier CMA CGM Monza departed her berth in the Kaiserhafen Zwei. As the vessel proceeded to the harbor, the master requested the assistance of an additional tug, as conditions were windy and gusty. She passed by Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven yard, headed northbound. At about 0230...

Government

Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

The Horn of Africa, embracing Eritrea with its Red Sea coastline, Djibouti and the component parts of what used to be Somalia, is in a state of flux, buffeted by the changing political situation in the neighborhood. How matters settle will have a direct impact on the safety and flow of merchant traffic through the Suez Canal and the Bab el Mandeb, a trade route using the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) which recently carried just under 15% of world...

Corporate News

Disney and Port of San Diego Extend Homeport Through At Least 2031

Disney Cruise Line and the Port of San Diego today announced a new agreement through at least 2031, which will approximately double the number of Disney cruises out of San Diego each year. For guests, this means more opportunities to embark on magical vacations to Catalina Island, Baja and the Mexican Riviera, with a broader range of seasonal itineraries and more frequent departures. “San Diego has been an important part of our West Coast operations for more than a decade,...

Cruise Ships

Oceania Cruises to Convert Older Ship for Luxury, Long Cruises

Oceania Cruises announced plans to convert one of the line’s oldest cruise ships as the platform for long, luxury cruises. The brand has been working to move more upscale in its offerings while also pursuing a strong expansion program that will add five new, larger cruise ships. The brand was launched in 2002 using two small cruise ships, Regatta and Insignia, as a reincarnation of the failed Renaissance Cruises. The original company was building six 30,000 gross ton cruise ships...

Ports

Ukraine Destroys Sea Drone as Russia Strikes Odesa Ports and Cargo Ships

Ukrainian officials report that Russia continues to target the port infrastructure in the Greater Odesa region in an effort to disrupt commercial trade. They assert the recent strikes on commercial shipping are deliberate acts by the enemy. Overnight, another cargo ship was struck while sailing in the corridor that Ukraine has maintained for two and a half years for commercial shipping. According to the reports, it was the third commercial ship struck recently, however the Ukrainian Navy also released images...

Shipping

Hormuz Traffic Ticks Up With More Vessels Outbound

Tugs & Salvage

Car Carrier Damaged in Allision With Bridge Pier at Bremerhaven

Government

Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

Corporate News

Disney and Port of San Diego Extend Homeport Through At Least 2031

Cruise Ships

Oceania Cruises to Convert Older Ship for Luxury, Long Cruises

Ports

Ukraine Destroys Sea Drone as Russia Strikes Odesa Ports and Cargo Ships

Offshore

U.S. is Negotiating to Cancel More Offshore Wind Leases

Executives at the French company Engie confirmed today that they are in discussions with U.S. officials about possibly canceling their offshore wind farm leases. Last month, the administration agreed to reimburse TotalEnergies for its offshore wind leases and hinted it might use the same technique with others, although advocates and lawmakers are questioning the legal authority. The Trump administration said in March that it had agreed to reimburse TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion it had paid to acquire a large lease...

Shipbuilding

Paying the Piper

The average merchant ship has a service life of 20-25 years, in some cases more. That's a long time to stay in compliance with all the rules that govern shipping, and owners know they have to set themselves up for success. It's not enough to meet regulations on day one: Every ship system has to be supported throughout a lifetime of industrial service if it's going to satisfy inspectors on day 5,000. Without solid backing from the original equipment manufacturer...

Environment

Winning Formula

For residents living near ports, seafarers working aboard ships and passengers stepping ashore, the question is no longer abstract: Why am I still breathing this? Sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) from ship exhausts are a daily reality in many port cities. A 2023 World Bank report estimated that more than 250 million people globally are exposed to air pollution around ports, underscoring that maritime emissions are not only a climate issue but a public-health issue....

Business

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Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

IMO Passes Major Reform of Ship Registration Process

With the Ceasefire on the Brink, Gulf States Prepare

The Maritime Executive's Annual Energy Edition is Now Available Online

Odfjell Advances Fleet Renewal After Committing $290M for Four Newbuilds

Hormuz Traffic Ticks Up With More Vessels Outbound

Car Carrier Damaged in Allision With Bridge Pier at Bremerhaven

Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

Disney and Port of San Diego Extend Homeport Through At Least 2031

Oceania Cruises to Convert Older Ship for Luxury, Long Cruises

Ukraine Destroys Sea Drone as Russia Strikes Odesa Ports and Cargo Ships

From Fossil Fuels to Shore Power With the Port of San Diego

From Local to Global: Genoa Maritime Forum to Bring the Industry Together

Estonian Solutions Support Cruise Industry’s Green Transition

Hormuz Traffic Ticks Up With More Vessels Outbound

Car Carrier Damaged in Allision With Bridge Pier at Bremerhaven

Churn in Horn of Africa Political Alliances

Disney and Port of San Diego Extend Homeport Through At Least 2031

Oceania Cruises to Convert Older Ship for Luxury, Long Cruises

Ukraine Destroys Sea Drone as Russia Strikes Odesa Ports and Cargo Ships

U.S. is Negotiating to Cancel More Offshore Wind Leases

Paying the Piper

Winning Formula

The Maritime Executive's Annual Energy Edition is Now Available Online

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events