Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

Port of Khor Fakkan, UAE (iStock / IPGGutenbergUKLtd)

Ocean Carriers Adapt to Hormuz Shutdown With Overland Routes

Published Mar 25, 2026 7:47 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Strait of Hormuz shutdown has focused the world's attention on the flow of commodities out of the Arabian Gulf, including 20 percent of the world's oil and 30 percent of its fertilizer. But just as importantly, cargo shipments are not getting in, and the region is dependent upon imports for most of its food. Most of the world's leading container lines have suspended cargo bookings into the Gulf market because they cannot get past the Strait. Alternatives exist overland...

Denmark Wins Approval from EU as it Seeks to Convert to CfD Wind Licenses

Published Mar 25, 2026 7:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

Denmark received a critical approval from the European Commission for its subsidy plan fr the next phase of the country’s development of offshore wind energy projects. After failing to receive bids in a December 2024 auction, the country’s Energy Agency pushed the government to adopt the two-way contract for difference (CfD) model, following the successful approach in the UK, which is gaining popularity in Europe. The European Commission announced it has approved a €5 billion Danish scheme to support offshore...

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Published Mar 25, 2026 6:27 PM by The Maritime Executive

Authorities in the United Kingdom are demonstrating resolve in the fight against drug trafficking after intercepting a large consignment of cocaine at the London Gateway port. The discovery comes as drug seizures in the country hit record highs. In the latest operation, Border Force officers seized around one tonne of cocaine hidden in a container that had been shipped from Panama. The drugs were found on March 20 and are said to have a street value of $107 million. The...

Hutchison Expands Arbitration Claims Beyond $2B Against Panama

Published Mar 25, 2026 6:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

The ongoing battle between CK Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company and the government of Panama has reportedly been “escalated beyond $2 billion,” the company announced in its latest volley in the back-and-forth between the two sides. It reportedly expanded the international arbitration with an additional filing on March 24. PPC continues to call Panama’s actions an “unlawful takeover” of the terminals at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal. It filed the arbitration claim in February with the International Chamber of Commerce...

Shipping

UK Completes Legal Review to Allow Dark Fleet Seizures

A mystery has been solved this week, explaining why the United Kingdom has been forward-leaning in providing support both to the United States and to France in their interceptions of dark fleet tankers - without participating in these seizures themselves. The UK aided both the U.S. chase of the Russian-flagged Marinera (IMO 9230880) and the French seizures of the Comoros-flagged Grinch (IMO 9288851) in January and the Mozambique?flagged Deyna (IMO 9299903) last week. Similarly, while Finland, Sweden, and Estonia are...

Tugs & Salvage

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

A tanker carrying Russian oil has been hit by drones near the northern entrance to the Bosporus, according to Turkish officials. The vessel, identified as the Sierra Leone-flagged Suezmax Altura, sustained damage to her bridge and to her engine room, according to Turkish channel NTV. No injuries were reported among the 27 members of the crew, all of whom are Turkish nationals. The salvage and rescue vessel Nene Hatun was dispatched to the scene to assist. As of Thursday morning,...

Government

Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

While the war in the Gulf continues, elsewhere it is business as usual. Dhows have still been leaving Iranian ports, smuggling materials to the Houthis in Yemen. The job of intercepting Iranian smuggling in the Bab el Mandeb and southern Red Sea has now been transferred to the Southern Giants Forces. The newly invigorated Internationally Recognized Government (IRGC) has shuffled Southern Giants Forces out of Aden, where their loyalty to the now weakened separatist Southern Transition Council (STC) posed a...

Corporate News

ClassNK Grants AiP for LCO2 Carrier Intended to Serve Socket SPAR Unit

[By: ClassNK] ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for the designs of a liquefied CO2 carrier intended to serve the Socket SPAR Unit for an injection facility. The certification demonstrates its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives. As CCS projects continue to advance worldwide, Japan faces unique challenges due to its deep and steep offshore waters, where subsea pipeline-based CO2 storage is not always feasible. Under the Ministry of the Environment’s ‘Environmentally Friendly CCS Demonstration Project,’ a floating...

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

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Shipping

UK Completes Legal Review to Allow Dark Fleet Seizures

Tugs & Salvage

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

Government

Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

Corporate News

ClassNK Grants AiP for LCO2 Carrier Intended to Serve Socket SPAR Unit

Cruise Ships

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Ports

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Offshore

Chevron Plans to Buy Oil From Sable's Controversial Santa Ynez Unit

Houston-based Sable Offshore, owner of the Santa Ynez platform complex and pipeline in Santa Barbara County, has a buyer for its production. Chevron says that it will begin buying 20,000 barrels per day from Sable now that the Trump administration has approved a restart of the former Santa Ynez pipeline, the oil major announced Tuesday. "We’re going to run Sable’s crude at El Segundo in April," Chevron president of downstream Andy Walz told Bloomberg. "We’re taking American crude oil, putting...

Shipbuilding

HD Hyundai Moving Forward with Humanoid Welding Robot for Shipyards

HD Hyundai has been working on several projects to develop technology that would support the use of humanoid robots to undertake precision tasks at its shipyard. The company announced on March 23 that it had completed a positive evaluation and is now moving to the next phase of the project. The parent company said HD Kore Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the intermediary holding company for its shipyards, will be partnering with HD Hyundai Robotics and a U.S.-based industrial humanoid robotics...

Environment

Carbon Storage Developers Complete Applications in UK’s Second CCS Round

The UK’s North Sea Transition Authority received bids for more than two million acres of seabed in its second carbon storage licensing round. Bidding closed on March 24 after having opened in December 2025 and follows the first four licenses, which were awarded in 2023, which have already begun efforts testing the injection process. A total of 21 licenses were awarded in the first round. The authority had reported strong initial interest before beginning the solicitation, and it now says...

Business

Hutchison Expands Arbitration Claims Beyond $2B Against Panama

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Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

Ocean Carriers Adapt to Hormuz Shutdown With Overland Routes

Denmark Wins Approval from EU as it Seeks to Convert to CfD Wind Licenses

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Hutchison Expands Arbitration Claims Beyond $2B Against Panama

UK Completes Legal Review to Allow Dark Fleet Seizures

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

ClassNK Grants AiP for LCO2 Carrier Intended to Serve Socket SPAR Unit

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Improve Fleet Value With Digital Optimization of Cruise Ship Hotel Areas

Port Everglades: A Diversified Cargo Gateway Built for Performance

One Net Unifies Four Maritime Tech Brands Under One Umbrella

UK Completes Legal Review to Allow Dark Fleet Seizures

Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea

Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues

ClassNK Grants AiP for LCO2 Carrier Intended to Serve Socket SPAR Unit

China Floats Second Cruise Ship and Orders Ships for International Market

Police Intercept $110M Cocaine at London Gateway Port

Chevron Plans to Buy Oil From Sable's Controversial Santa Ynez Unit

HD Hyundai Moving Forward with Humanoid Welding Robot for Shipyards

Carbon Storage Developers Complete Applications in UK’s Second CCS Round

Hutchison Expands Arbitration Claims Beyond $2B Against Panama

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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