Commercial Shipping News

U.N. Security Council members will begin talks on Tuesday on a U.S.- and Bahrain‑backed draft resolution that could lead to sanctions against Iran, and potentially authorise force, if Tehran fails to halt attacks and threats to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, three Western diplomats said.Fresh exchanges of fire on Monday underscored the stakes as the U.S. and Iran struggle for control of the narrow waterway, a vital artery for global energy and trade, shaking a fragile four-week-old truce and reinforcing rival maritime blockades.The U.S.

The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 28.U.S.

The U.S. military said two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers had entered the Gulf to break an Iranian blockade and that two U.S. merchant ships had transited the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran said it had prevented a U.S. warship entering the Gulf.U.S. Central Command said its forces were supporting President Donald Trump's "Project Freedom", which aims to "guide out" commercial ships stranded in the Gulf by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and were enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.The intervention appeared to raise the risk of a direct confrontation between the U.S.

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3, 2026 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging, and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on U.S. positions if Washington renewed attacks, and also reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway.Two months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn.Efforts to resolve the conflict have hit an impasse…

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated announced the unification of ChartWorld and Raymarine Commercial under a single commercial navigation brand, Raymarine Commercial. As part of the unification, ChartWorld’s commercial navigation solutions and services will transition fully into the Raymarine Commercial brand, further strengthening Teledyne’s position as a global leader in maritime navigation solutions and demonstrating the successful integration of acquired businesses into its core operations.The combination brings ChartWorld’s established digital navigation…

The shipping industry is getting ahead of discussions at MEPC 84 next week by reaffirming their commitment to the IMO.BIMCO, CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERFERRY, INTERTANKO and WSC, representing the global commercial shipping fleet, issued a statement saying they remain committed to pursuing the ambition established within the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, having invested and committed billions of dollars to trial and implement the use of alternative…

BIMCO, CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERFERRY, INTERTANKO and WSC, representing the global commercial shipping fleet, have issued a statement in support of the IMO ahead of the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) meeting next week.The industry associations remain committed to pursuing the ambition established within the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, having invested and committed billions of dollars to trial and implement the use of alternative fuels and innovative technology.Following the postponement…

Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

For much of its modern history, shipping has relied on experience, instinct and relationships as much as data. Decisions were – and in many cases still are – informed by spreadsheets, phone calls, intuition and experience built over decades. Today, that foundation is being reshaped by digital tools designed to bring clarity, visibility and confidence to some of the industry’s most complex challenges.Few companies sit more squarely at the intersection of shipping expertise and digital innovation than Klaveness Digital, part of the Torvald Klaveness Group.

China and Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. resolution encouraging states to coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the measure biased against Iran, while Washington's ambassador to the world body called on "responsible nations" to join the U.S. in securing the waterway.The 15-member Security Council voted 11 in favor of the resolution presented by Bahrain, with two against - China and Russia - and two abstentions.U.S. President Donald…

For centuries, shipowners have fought a persistent enemy beneath the waterline: biofouling. Barnacles, algae, slime and other marine organisms attach themselves to hull surfaces, increasing hydrodynamic drag and reducing vessel efficiency. Traditionally, the fight against fouling relied on antifouling coatings, diver cleaning teams, and periodic drydock maintenance. But in the last decade, a new class of underwater robotics has begun to change that equation.Robotic hull-cleaning systems…

The future of shipbuilding and maritime competitiveness will be featured at the Maritime Risk Symposium 2026, hosted by the Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University. On June 2–3 at LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology in Pasadena, Texas, leaders from industry and academia will examine the strategy, workforce, investment, and partnerships needed to advance America’s maritime comeback.A new era in American shipbuilding is emerging—and the U.S. Gulf Coast stands at its center.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday he hopes for a council vote on Friday on a resolution Bahrain has drafted to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel struck Iran at the end of February, kicking off a conflict that has now exceeded a month and effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic.Bahrain has presented Security Council…

Bahrain's effort to secure a U.N. resolution to authorise "all necessary means" to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz ran into new obstacles on Wednesday, underscoring divisions over how to deal with Iran's effective closure of the waterway that has resulted in the worst energy-supply disruption ever.Bahrain, which took over the presidency of the 15-member U.N. Security Council for the month of April, had circulated a fresh version of a draft resolution that dropped a previous explicit reference to binding enforcement…

Bahrain has circulated a revised U.N. Security Council draft resolution on protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, retaining language authorising “all necessary means” but dropping an explicit reference to binding enforcement.Shipping through the waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies pass and which underpins Gulf economies, has already slowed to a near‑halt after Iran struck vessels amid its conflict with the United States and Israel.Bahrain’s initial draft…

The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies it would participate in a multinational maritime taskforce to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipping, the report added.The UAE has faced more Iranian attacks than any other country in the region, including Israel.Several U.S.

Bahrain has put forward a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to succeed.The move underscores mounting concern in the region that Iran could continue to threaten the Strait of Hormuz…

Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power.France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution…

InterManager has expressed serious concern about the worsening security situation affecting commercial shipping in the Middle East Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.In light of the recent attacks on merchant vessels in the region, InterManager is urging ship managers, owners and operators to exercise extreme caution and carefully evaluate whether transit through the Strait of Hormuz is necessary at this time. The safety and wellbeing of seafarers must remain the overriding priority.InterManager…

Thordon Bearings has announced two significant appointments which reinforce its commitment to meet growing demand for high performance, pollution-free seawater-lubricated bearings and seals in commercial shipping.Anthony Hamilton has been appointed VP of Engineering and Product Development of Thomson-Gordon Group (TGG), the parent company of Thordon Bearings, with a mission to leverage group-wide capabilities in growing its merchant marine business.Based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Hamilton has led TGG’s engineering and new product development as Technical Director since 2021.

lomarlabs has entered a collaboration with Blaze Energy to pilot a third-generation, compact, engine-integrated fuel reformer designed to accelerate the practical adoption of alternative fuels in commercial shipping.The collaboration will culminate in a pilot installation onboard a Lomar vessel, enabling Blaze Energy to validate its multi-fuel reforming system, under real marine operating conditions. The Flex-Fuel Reformer converts ammonia, methanol, or LNG into hydrogen directly onboard the ship…

Leading European nations and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets.This is the full text of the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan:We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations…