Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

U.S. forces board a tanker full of Venezuelan oil in the Indian Ocean, Feb 2026 (USCG)

Op Ed: Keep Oil Prices Down or Sustain the Iranian Regime?

Published Mar 21, 2026 2:40 PM by The Maritime Executive

U.S. policymakers are faced with a dilemma, and one which is already being argued over in the domestic political arena. Should the U.S. allow sanctioned Iranian oil to continue to get to market, thereby keeping prices lower and reducing pressure on global supplies no longer being fed by oil from Iraq, Kuwait, the Saudi East Coast, Bahrain, Qatar and some UAE oilfields? There is currently no hindrance to tankers shipping Iranian oil moving through the Straits of Hormuz, and despite...

Diana Vows Proxy Fight After Genco Again Rejects Merger Proposal

Published Mar 20, 2026 9:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

The takeover battle designed to consolidate the dry bulk shipping with the merger of Diana Shipping and Genco Shipping & Trading continues as both sides appear entrenched in their position. Genco’s board has twice rejected proposals from Diana, with the battle appearing to be headed to the shareholders after Diana put forward an alternate slate of directors for Genco. “Rather than constructively engage with Diana regarding our premium proposal, the Genco Board has for the second time dismissed it without...

Switched Off Navigation Sounders a Factor in Nuyina Grounding Says ATSB

Published Mar 20, 2026 9:10 PM by The Maritime Executive

A decision to switch off the navigational echo sounders to avoid interfering with scientific instruments is emerging as a key factor in the brief grounding of Australia’s research vessel Nuyina in October last year. This is according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which has released its preliminary report detailing events leading to the grounding of the $528 million vessel off Heard Island, some 4,000 kilometers southwest of Perth on October 13. On that day, the state-of-the-art research vessel...

Fitness App Reveals Location of French Carrier Strike Group

Published Mar 20, 2026 8:47 PM by The Maritime Executive

French officials were embarrassed and worked quickly to correct an incident after the newspaper Le Monde on Thursday revealed it had been able to pinpoint the location of the carrier Charles de Gaulle thanks to a smartwatch application. French President Emmanuel Macron had announced earlier in the month that the multinational carrier group had been repositioned into the Eastern Mediterranean to support French allies, and the newspaper was able to reveal the exact location. French Rear Admiral Thibault Haudos de...

Shipping

Op-Ed: Arctic Metagaz Explosion Shows That LNG Carriers Have Risks

A recent explosive event involving a liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier laden with Russian Arctic gas should serve as a wake up call. The Arctic Metagaz, a 23 year old LNG carrier reportedly linked to Russia’s so-called "dark fleet," exploded and caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea in early March while en route to Port Said. Russia's foreign ministry claims that the explosion was caused by a Ukrainian drone strike, but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility. Fortunately, the crew escaped...

Tugs & Salvage

Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

Libya’s National Oil Company reports it has retained international experts specialized in incident response to address the drifting hulk of the gas carrier Arctic Metagaz. They expect the burnt-out vessel to be towed to one of the Libyan ports. The hulk of the vessel has been drifting in the Mediterranean since it was racked by a massive explosion and subsequent fire that consumed most of the 277-meter (909-foot) LNG carrier (77,551 dwt) on March 3. The crew was rescued and...

Government

A still from an Israeli drone video of the attack on IRINS Deylaman off Bandar Anzali, March 18 (Israel MoD)

Israel Protects Azerbaijan With Strike on Iran's Caspian Fleet

Israel's strike on Iranian naval assets in the Caspian Sea, which took place on the evening of March 18, were the first attacks on the Iranian Navy's Northern Fleet, but unusual in one other regard: on the surface, the assets destroyed did not immediately threaten Israel, which is normally a target qualification requirement. Although Israel did not publish the names of the vessels destroyed either in Bandar Anzali harbor or at sea, video of the attack is of sufficient quality...

Corporate News

Indian Register (IRS) Takes One of India’s Largest Crude Tankers into Class

[By Indian Register of Shipping (IRS)] Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) has taken into class Lila Jamnagar, a 298,997 DWT Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) and one of the largest vessels to sail under the Indian flag. The addition of the vessel marks an important milestone for India’s tanker fleet and highlights the growing role of Indian classification in supporting the country’s maritime ambitions. Owned by RFK Shipping IFSC Private Limited and operated through the Lila Global platform, Lila Jamnagar...

Cruise Ships

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

China marked the next milestone in its efforts at expanding the domestic cruise industry with the float-out of its second large domestically built cruise ship. Built for China’s Adora Cruises, the ship will enter service this year, and the company reported it intends to order two more cruise ships and take an option for a third newbuild. The second cruise ship, named Adora Flower City, is an enlarged version of the first domestically built ship, which was based on a...

Ports

Panama Responds to Hutchison Calling Accusations “Scandalous”

The back-and-forth between China, Panama, and CK Hutchison heated up as Panama’s President, Jose Raul Mulino, met the press on Thursday in his weekly session. He dismissed the accusations made by the Panama Ports Company (PPC) and CK Hutchison in the ongoing dispute resulting from Panama's annulment of the Chinese company’s long-standing concession to operate the port terminals in Balboa and Cristobal. PPC at the beginning of the week asserted that Panama had missed the filing deadline for its international...

Shipping

Op-Ed: Arctic Metagaz Explosion Shows That LNG Carriers Have Risks

Tugs & Salvage

Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

Government

Israel Protects Azerbaijan With Strike on Iran's Caspian Fleet

Corporate News

Indian Register (IRS) Takes One of India’s Largest Crude Tankers into Class

Cruise Ships

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Ports

Panama Responds to Hutchison Calling Accusations “Scandalous”

Offshore

In the Know Podcast 77: Aaron Smith, President and CEO of OMSA

For the latest edition of In the Know, The Maritime Executive's podcast series, editor-in-chief Tony Munoz spoke with OMSA President and CEO Aaron Smith about the importance of Jones Act shipping in the offshore sector. OMSA - the Offshore Marine Service Association - is the voice of the U.S. offshore-vessel industry, and its primary mission is to protect the Jones Act's benefits for American mariners and shipowners. Smith, the organization's longtime leader, joins the podcast to talk about how loopholes...

Shipbuilding

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...

Environment

Op-Ed: Ships Should Meet the Polar Code Before Entering Canadian Arctic

The United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Polar Code in November 2014 to reduce loss of life at sea caused by inadequate preparedness for operations in polar regions, which are more isolated and challenging than lower-latitude waters. The Code entered into force on January 1, 2017 and initially applied to seagoing vessels of 500 gross tonnage (GT) and above, as well as certain vessel classes such as cruise ships. On January 1, 2026, the IMO expanded the categories...

Business

Diana Vows Proxy Fight After Genco Again Rejects Merger Proposal

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

Op Ed: Keep Oil Prices Down or Sustain the Iranian Regime?

Diana Vows Proxy Fight After Genco Again Rejects Merger Proposal

Switched Off Navigation Sounders a Factor in Nuyina Grounding Says ATSB

Fitness App Reveals Location of French Carrier Strike Group

Op-Ed: Arctic Metagaz Explosion Shows That LNG Carriers Have Risks

Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

Israel Protects Azerbaijan With Strike on Iran's Caspian Fleet

Indian Register (IRS) Takes One of India’s Largest Crude Tankers into Class

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Panama Responds to Hutchison Calling Accusations “Scandalous”

Port Everglades: A Diversified Cargo Gateway Built for Performance

One Net Unifies Four Maritime Tech Brands Under One Umbrella

Could Earlier Warning Systems be the Answer to Risk Reduction in Terminals?

Op-Ed: Arctic Metagaz Explosion Shows That LNG Carriers Have Risks

Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

Israel Protects Azerbaijan With Strike on Iran's Caspian Fleet

Indian Register (IRS) Takes One of India’s Largest Crude Tankers into Class

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Panama Responds to Hutchison Calling Accusations “Scandalous”

In the Know Podcast 77: Aaron Smith, President and CEO of OMSA

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

Op-Ed: Ships Should Meet the Polar Code Before Entering Canadian Arctic

Diana Vows Proxy Fight After Genco Again Rejects Merger Proposal

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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