Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

Video: Marines Carry Out Their First Boat-to-Boat Drone Strike

Published Apr 7, 2026 11:49 PM by The Maritime Executive

Much like Ukraine's front-line units, U.S. Marine Corps specialists are learning to build and deploy their own attack drones with available technology, innovating new ways to deliver effects in the maritime environment. At a recent exercise in Okinawa, a team of Marines set up their own drone boat craft, then used it as a target in the service's first live fire boat-to-boat drone strike. In March, Marines from III Expeditionary Operations Training Group and operators from U.S. Naval Special Warfare...

Iran Confirms Two-Week Ceasefire and a Limited Opening of Strait of Hormuz

Published Apr 7, 2026 11:13 PM by The Maritime Executive

Iran has confirmed that it plans to allow marine traffic to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week ceasefire with the Trump administration - subject to conditions. Following last-minute negotiations mediated by the government of Pakistan, Trump agreed to further talks based on the framework of Iran's 10-point plan for the next two weeks, and to hold off on further strikes. For its part, Iran promised to cease its attacks and allow safe passage through the Strait of...

CK Hutchison Files Arbitral Claim Against Maersk Over Panama Terminals

Published Apr 7, 2026 11:01 PM by The Maritime Executive

CK Hutchison, the Hong Kong-based ports giant, has filed an arbitral claim against AP Moller-Maersk. The case expands on an earlier arbitral claim that Hutchison filed against the Panamanian government, alleging that it has illegally seized two of Hutchison's container terminal leases. Until this year, CK Hutchison was the operator of container terminals in Balboa and Cristobal, Panama, among dozens of its other global holdings. Following pressure from the Trump administration to reduce Chinese "influence" at the Panama Canal, the...

HMS Dragon refueling under way in the Med, March 2026 (Royal Navy)

UK Destroyer Tasked With Defense of Cyprus Heads to Port for Repairs

Published Apr 7, 2026 7:20 PM by The Maritime Executive

The air defense destroyer that the UK dispatched to protect the British base on Cyprus has been delayed for a "minor technical stop," according to the UK Ministry of Defense. HMS Dragon deployed March 10 after a two-week period of preparations for her voyage, and she arrived off Cyprus on March 27. She will now be putting into port somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean while her onboard water systems are fixed, defense sources told the BBC. For now, the supply...

Shipping

Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

While welcoming the news of the announced two-week ceasefire, the shipping industry is remaining cautious and seeking more clarity before ships rush to the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts, however, also caution that they do not expect a mass exodus and further that it is unlikely to see shipping return to the Persian Gulf for some time to come. Donald Trump, in announcing the ceasefire, emphasized in all capital letters his demands for the Strait of Hormuz. He wrote that the...

Tugs & Salvage

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

The Baltimore City Fireboat Station is reporting that it received a mayday call from a tug operating south of the city in the Curtis Bay/Curtis Creek region. The vessel reported it was taking on water. The vessel is being identified as the Gale (145 gross tons) towboat, and from the pictures, it appears to have been moving a fuel barge. The vessel, built in 1980, has been owned by a Maryland-based company, McLean Contracting, since 2020. It is 65.5 feet...

Government

Two U.S. Deep-Sea Mining Companies Plan $1B Reverse Merger

Two players in the nascent U.S.-jurisdiction polymetallic nodule sector have agreed to a reverse merger to combine their holdings and expertise, creating one of the larger operators in the segment. The merger will bring together the strengths of the American Ocean Minerals Corporation (AOMC) with Odyssey Marine Exploration, and will operate under the AOMC name after completion of the process. The combined entity will have an equity value of about $1 billion and $175 million in cash. "By combining AOMC’s...

Corporate News

Kongsberg Maritime Secures Waterjet Contract for Indian Navy Missile Vessel

[By: Kongsberg Maritime] Kongsberg Maritime has signed a landmark contract to supply 18 large Kamewa waterjets for the Indian Navy’s Next Generation Missile Vessel (NGMV) programme. Each of the vessels will feature waterjets, delivering exceptional speed and manoeuvrability for high-performance naval operations. The NGMV fleet is being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited and will play a critical role in India’s maritime defence strategy. This contract marks Kongsberg Maritime’s largest single waterjet order to date and signals a strong return to...

Cruise Ships

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Passengers aboard the Fiji cruise ship might have thought they were about to relive a scene from the 2000 movie “Cast Away,” in which Tom Hanks becomes stranded for years on an uninhabited island. Their ship, the Fiji Princess, grounded on April 4 on the same island used in the movie. The 179-foot (55-meter) cruise ship operates cruises up to a week in length around the islands in Fiji. Built in 1998, the ship has 32 passenger cabins with a...

Ports

Russia Retaliates Attacking Izmail Port in Ukraine

Ukraine’s seaport authority and local government officials announced a new attack on the Danube port of Izmail. Unconfirmed reports said the port was attacked in retaliation for the earlier attack by Ukraine on a cargo ship in the Sea of Azov that killed three crewmembers, while other reports said Izmail was being used to offload military equipment. The officials said Russia continues to deliberately attack the ports, logistics facilities, and infrastructure. The latest attack came with drones that were reported...

Shipping

Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

Tugs & Salvage

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

Government

Two U.S. Deep-Sea Mining Companies Plan $1B Reverse Merger

Corporate News

Kongsberg Maritime Secures Waterjet Contract for Indian Navy Missile Vessel

Cruise Ships

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Ports

Russia Retaliates Attacking Izmail Port in Ukraine

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

Indian Shipbuilding SDHI Adds First Ammonia-Fueled Vessels to Orderbook

The revitalization of the former Reliance Naval and Engineering shipbuilder as Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) continues as the yard is winning landmark deals and building its orderbook. It is now reporting India’s first order for ammonia dual-fuel ships as well as the order for some of the largest commercial ships yet built in India. SDHI is the relaunched operation, which went through years of financial difficulties that finally saw the yard suspend operations. It was sold and resumed...

Environment

EcoNavis to Validate and Demonstrate Improved Design for Wind Rotors

Scotland-based EcoNavis Solutions believes it has a technological innovation that can enhance the performance of wind rotors. With wind-assisted propulsion gaining increased interest, the company is using a Scottish Enterprise research grant to move its concept from the drawing board to validation and demonstration. The basic concept of the wind rotor promoted by Anton Flettner in the 1920s remains largely unchanged after more than a century. The spinning rotor captures the energy of the wind to provide additional thrust for...

Business

Largest Ship Repair Yard in East Africa Inaugurated in Djibouti

Officials in Djibouti officially inaugurated the Djibouti Ship Repair Yard on April 4, marking what they called a milestone in the development of the country’s maritime economy. It becomes the largest ship repair yard in the Red Sea region and East Africa, available to provide critical repair and maintenance work. “The DSRY project has always been a national priority, given Djibouti’s strategic location at the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes,” said President Ismaïl...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Select any month to view events: April May June July August September October November December January February March

Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

Video: Marines Carry Out Their First Boat-to-Boat Drone Strike

Iran Confirms Two-Week Ceasefire and a Limited Opening of Strait of Hormuz

CK Hutchison Files Arbitral Claim Against Maersk Over Panama Terminals

UK Destroyer Tasked With Defense of Cyprus Heads to Port for Repairs

Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

Two U.S. Deep-Sea Mining Companies Plan $1B Reverse Merger

Kongsberg Maritime Secures Waterjet Contract for Indian Navy Missile Vessel

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Russia Retaliates Attacking Izmail Port in Ukraine

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

Shipping Waits and Watches Strait of Hormuz in First Hours of Ceasefire

Baltimore Fireboats Respond to Sinking Towboat

Two U.S. Deep-Sea Mining Companies Plan $1B Reverse Merger

Kongsberg Maritime Secures Waterjet Contract for Indian Navy Missile Vessel

Passengers Abandon Cruise Grounded on Island from 2000 Movie “Cast Away"

Russia Retaliates Attacking Izmail Port in Ukraine

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

Indian Shipbuilding SDHI Adds First Ammonia-Fueled Vessels to Orderbook

EcoNavis to Validate and Demonstrate Improved Design for Wind Rotors

Largest Ship Repair Yard in East Africa Inaugurated in Djibouti

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Join the conversation.

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events