Friday, April 03, 2026
Media Kit
Sweden authorities boarding tankeer

Sweden Detains Third Shadow Fleet Vessel in a Month

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gas carrier Strait of Hormuz

Competing Strategies Emerge for Opening the Hormuz

Published Apr 3, 2026 11:28 AM by The Maritime Executive

A resumption of international freedom of movement through the Strait of Hormuz is clearly of vital importance to the maritime community. Doing so by force has, for the moment, been largely ruled out by almost everyone who might be expected to effect it. Not only would it be a risky and high-casualty operation, but it would run the risk of further widening the conflict. It is becoming apparent that, having precipitated the closure of the Strait, the U.S. Administration may,...

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Xiang Yang Hong 09. Xiang Yang Hong are a class of Chinese oceanographic survey and research ships. Image by Boloomo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

China's Deep Sea Mining Research May Be Cover for Surveillance

Published Apr 2, 2026 11:26 PM by Mongabay

[By Elizabeth Claire Alberts and Kara Fox] A Mongabay and CNN investigation found the eight Chinese state-owned ships that conduct deep-sea mining research in China’s mining areas allocated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) actually spent little time in these exploration areas, while spending much of their remaining time operating in militarily strategic waters. Many of these vessels are linked to the Chinese Navy, have regularly called on military-connected ports, encroached on other countries’ coastal exclusive economic zones and turned...

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An Emirati patrol boat on display, 2025 (MZtourist / CC BY 4.0)

UN Security Council Expected to Vote Down Use-of-Force Request for Hormuz

Published Apr 2, 2026 10:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

Three of the permanent members of the UN Security Council have signaled that they do not support a motion to authorize use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New York Times. Russia and China were widely expected to oppose the measure, given their diplomatic ties to Tehran; they are reportedly joined by France, which has publicly opposed a military solution. The proposed UN Security Counsel resolution is spearheaded by Iran's neighbors in the Gulf, and...

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Anatoly Kolodkin

Russia Plans to Send Second Tanker Through U.S. Energy Blockade on Cuba

Published Apr 2, 2026 10:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

As a Russian tanker unloads in Matanzas, Cuba, breaking the de facto energy blockade imposed by the Trump administration, Moscow is said to be planning to dispatch a second tanker to repeat the much-needed crude oil delivery. The sanctioned tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at a petroleum terminal in Matanzas on March 31, making one of the few deliveries of oil to reach Cuba since the U.S. replaced Venezuelan dsictator Nicolas Maduro in January. Under Maduro, Venezuela's government supplied Cuba with...

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Offshore

US LNG export terminal at Sabine Pass

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...

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Shipbuilding

NASSCO shipyard

Samsung Heavy Industries Participates in Its First U.S. Navy MASGA Project

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries announced that it will be participating in its first U.S. shipbuilding project, working with General Dynamics NASSCO and DSEC. It is a design project that is being billed as part of the South Korean program launched last year, calling for a $150 billion investment project known as Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA). The project is for the refining of the design of the future “Next Generation Logistics Support Ship,” which the U.S. Navy...

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Environment

hydrogen-fueled multi-purpose vessel

Japan Demonstrates Hydrogen-Fueled Engine for Large Commercial Vessels

Japan reports a breakthrough with the demonstration of a large hydrogen-fueled engine being developed by Japan Engine Corporation, working with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, for a demonstration project for an ocean-going vessel. It points out that most work so far with hydrogen is on smaller engines for coastal vessels, making this a major technological milestone toward the practical use of hydrogen-fueled vessels. While interest has developed in hydrogen, to date, the Japanese project points out that most of the initiatives are...

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Business

shipyard

MARAD Increases Funding for Grants for Small Shipyards

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) reported that it is increasing the funding pool available for the 2026 grants in the Small Shipyard Grant Program. It follows the launch of the 2026 Port Infrastructure Development Program application period last week and is part of the Trump administration's strategy to increase support for the U.S. maritime industry. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlights that the grant pool for small shipyards is being increased by 200 percent to $35 million versus June 2025, when just...

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