Norway Bans Hormuz Transits, India Makes a Deal With Iran for Safe Passage

Boxship Operating for Maersk-Hapag Hit by Shrapnel off UAE

Published Mar 12, 2026 3:28 PM by The Maritime Executive

While most of the focus has been on tankers or ships attempting to run the gauntlet at the Strait of Hormuz, containerships are also reporting damage as the war in the Persian Gulf widens. It is unclear if it is deliberate targeting of the ships, inaccurate targeting, or collateral damage, but so far, none of the ships has reported significant damage. The latest incident came early on Thursday morning, March 12, local time in the region. UK Maritime Trade Operations...

Connecting Opportunities: The Power of Integrated E-Navigation

Published Mar 12, 2026 1:49 PM by NAVTOR

Timo Essers, e-Navigation Director at NAVTOR, looks at how seamless system integration can empower a new age of control, efficiency and competitive advantage. In the real world, everything is connected. Ecosystems thrive not because of one constituent part, but because of everything working together as one. The same is true for society, politics and economics. There is a complex fabric of interlocking threads that, when woven with care, create strength. Try and pull apart the connections – disrupt the balance...

USS Gerald R. Ford Reports Laundry Room Fire

Published Mar 12, 2026 12:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Nimitz Class carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has suffered a fire in its onboard laundry facility, which has injured two crew members but not otherwise impaired operations of the carrier. In announcing the incident, CENTCOM emphasized that the cause of the fire was not combat-related and was contained. It said there is no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational. The problem in the laundry comes on top of previously reported problems...

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

Published Mar 11, 2026 10:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

[Breaking] Two tankers have reportedly been hit by unknown projectiles in the Arabian Gulf, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). Two ships were reportedly struck at a position just south of Basrah, within Iraqi waters. Bystander video from a nearby vessel suggests that they were adjacent to each other and potentially engaged in an STS transfer at the time of impact. The video shows a spreading pool of burning oil surrounding the vessels. Iraqi authorities identified the vessels as...

Shipping

U.S. Seeks Immediate Sale of Shadow Tanker After Landing Crude Oil Cargo

The United States, in a court filing made on March 12, is asking for an order to permit an immediate interlocutory sale of the seized tanker Skipper and its oil cargo, which is now being stored onshore. The filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asserts that the expenses of holding the tanker and its oil cargo will quickly negate the value of the cargo. The tanker, which was built in 2005 and has been operating...

Tugs & Salvage

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

Government

Trump Administration Proposes Jones Act Waiver for Fuel and Fertilizer

The White House has floated the possibility of waiving the Jones Act for coastwise fuel and fertilizer transport, and U.S. maritime industry associations warn that foreign-flag competition would do little to address near-term price concerns - and could damage the health of the domestic fleet. "In the interest of national defense, the White House is considering waiving the Jones Act for a limited period of time to ensure vital energy products and agricultural necessities are flowing freely to U.S. ports,"...

Corporate News

Cox Marine Opens New Multi-Functional Training and Collaboration Space

[By: Cox Marine] Cox Marine, the British manufacturer of high-performance diesel outboard engines, has officially opened a new multi-functional training and collaboration space at its UK manufacturing headquarters in Shoreham-by-Sea. Designed primarily to support technical and product training for Cox Marine’s global network of distributors, dealers, service partners and customers, the new facility provides a dedicated environment for hands-on learning centred on the Cox Marine V8 diesel outboard. The space also serves as a versatile hub for wider collaboration, enabling...

Cruise Ships

UK Finds Fault in Planning and Medical Care on Cruise Ship in Severe Storm

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch issued its report on a 2023 incident aboard the cruise ship Spirit of Discovery in which many passengers were injured, including one who later died, as the vessel lost propulsion during a violent storm in the Bay of Biscay. The report outlines significant steps that have been taken to address a range of safety issues, while the UK, along with the Norwegian authority, is making recommendations to the IMO and class societies to enhance...

Ports

U.S. Container Volumes had Normalized Before Iran Despite Uncertainties

Reports indicate the U.S. import container volume was down significantly in February 2026, but despite the uncertainties in trade, the view was that the volumes were beginning to normalize. Descartes Systems Global, in its monthly report, highlighted that February 2026 was ranked as the fourth-strongest February on record, but the impact from the conflict in Iran adds new uncertainty. “While February volumes suggest underlying demand remains relatively stable, the military conflict in the Middle East, evolving U.S. tariffs, and ongoing...

Shipping

U.S. Seeks Immediate Sale of Shadow Tanker After Landing Crude Oil Cargo

Tugs & Salvage

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

Government

Trump Administration Proposes Jones Act Waiver for Fuel and Fertilizer

Corporate News

Cox Marine Opens New Multi-Functional Training and Collaboration Space

Cruise Ships

UK Finds Fault in Planning and Medical Care on Cruise Ship in Severe Storm

Ports

U.S. Container Volumes had Normalized Before Iran Despite Uncertainties

Offshore

Second "Big Beautiful" Offshore Lease Sale Draws Fewer Big Spenders

The U.S. Department of the Interior has completed the second offshore oil and gas auction of its revised lease plan, and the outcome was quieter this time. The auction generated $47 million in high bids for a total of 140,000 acres in 25 blocks, down from the previous auction's total of $280 million. A total of about 80 million acres were up for auction, but the majority received no bids. 13 companies participated in bidding, down from 30 in the...

Shipbuilding

Third US Training Ship State of Maine Delivered to MARAD

The third newly built U.S. training ship for the merchant marine, the State of Maine, was handed over to TOTE Services and delivered to the U.S. Maritime Administration. It will be the fifth training vessel, and the first purpose-built vessel, to be operated by the Maine Maritime Academy, located in Castine, Maine. The handover to the U.S. government took place at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and the vessel is scheduled to depart for Maine in the coming days. Once it...

Environment

Study: Ocean Warming Puts "Constant Negative Pressure" on Fish Populations

A new meta-study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution suggests that ocean warming has an outsize impact on the total amount of fish in the water, enough to have major implications for global fisheries. The study, led by researchers at Spain's Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, looked at hundreds of thousands of studies of fish populations in the Northern Hemisphere over a period of nearly 30 years, spanning 1993-2021. The vast data set covered more than 1,500 fish species and...

Business

Connecting Opportunities: The Power of Integrated E-Navigation

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Norway Bans Hormuz Transits, India Makes a Deal With Iran for Safe Passage

Boxship Operating for Maersk-Hapag Hit by Shrapnel off UAE

Connecting Opportunities: The Power of Integrated E-Navigation

USS Gerald R. Ford Reports Laundry Room Fire

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

U.S. Seeks Immediate Sale of Shadow Tanker After Landing Crude Oil Cargo

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

Trump Administration Proposes Jones Act Waiver for Fuel and Fertilizer

Cox Marine Opens New Multi-Functional Training and Collaboration Space

UK Finds Fault in Planning and Medical Care on Cruise Ship in Severe Storm

U.S. Container Volumes had Normalized Before Iran Despite Uncertainties

Connecting Opportunities: The Power of Integrated E-Navigation

Collaborative Delivery Models Reshape Port Infrastructure Development

IMO Approved Echosounder and Speed Log System With a Single Sensor

U.S. Seeks Immediate Sale of Shadow Tanker After Landing Crude Oil Cargo

Two Tankers Burn Off Iraq After Suspected Drone Boat Strike

Trump Administration Proposes Jones Act Waiver for Fuel and Fertilizer

Cox Marine Opens New Multi-Functional Training and Collaboration Space

UK Finds Fault in Planning and Medical Care on Cruise Ship in Severe Storm

U.S. Container Volumes had Normalized Before Iran Despite Uncertainties

Second "Big Beautiful" Offshore Lease Sale Draws Fewer Big Spenders

Third US Training Ship State of Maine Delivered to MARAD

Study: Ocean Warming Puts "Constant Negative Pressure" on Fish Populations

Connecting Opportunities: The Power of Integrated E-Navigation

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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