Stricken Russian LNG Tanker ‘Arctic Metagaz’ Anchored Off Libya After Two-Month Odyssey, Future Uncertain
Arctic Metagaz on April 6, 2026. (Source: Al-Unwan)
Stricken Russian LNG Tanker ‘Arctic Metagaz’ Anchored Off Libya After Two-Month Odyssey, Future Uncertain
Malte Humpert
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May 4, 2026
The burnt-out Russian LNG carrier
Arctic Metagaz
has been anchored off Libya’s eastern coast, potentially ending a two-month drift across the central Mediterranean, though uncertainty remains over how authorities will handle the stricken vessel.
Satellite imagery and maritime tracking data show the tanker holding position roughly 18 nautical miles north-northeast of Benghazi for several days, indicating Libyan authorities have succeeded in securing it after repeated failed towing attempts.
The development follows a chaotic period since early March,
when the vessel was reportedly hit by a Ukrainian sea drone while transiting about 150 nautical miles southeast of Malta. The blast forced the crew to abandon ship and left the 277-meter tanker adrift with a hazardous cargo of liquefied natural g
Ships Cluster Further From Hormuz Strait as Iran Widens Grip
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Ships Cluster Further From Hormuz Strait as Iran Widens Grip
Bloomberg
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May 5, 2026
By Weilun Soon (Bloomberg) — Hundreds of vessels were seen clustering near Dubai on Tuesday, as more ships moved away from a still-empty
Strait of Hormuz
in response to Iran’s efforts to widen its area of control.
A weeks-long ceasefire between the US and Iran has begun to look increasingly fragile, with the two sides exchanging fire as Washington said it had opened a passage through the waterway and CBS reported two American destroyers had crossed into the Persian Gulf.
Since Monday, nearly 60 vessels across different types sailed into an area off Dubai monitored by Bloomberg News — an unusually large number even for waters that have seen carriers clustering since the start of the war. At least 363 ships are currently in the area, according to their signals, compared with an average
U.N. Weighs Hormuz Sanctions as U.S. Pushes Resolution That Could Open Door to Force
A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska as USS Spruance (DDG 111) conduts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. CENTCOM/Handout via REUTERS
U.N. Pushes Resolution That Could Open Door to Force
Reuters
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May 5, 2026
PARIS, May 5 (Reuters) – U.N.
US strikes Iranian fast boats as Iran attacks UAE oil facility
US strikes Iranian fast boats as Iran attacks UAE oil facility
in
International Shipping News
05/05/2026
President Donald Trump says the US has struck seven Iranian “fast boats” in the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington seeks to guide stranded ships out of the Gulf through the largely closed waterway.
The UAE and South Korea both reported strikes on ships in the vital channel on Monday. The UAE also said a fire broke out at the oil port of Fujairah after an Iranian attack.
Shipping company Maersk told the BBC that one of its US-flagged vessels had successfully exited the strait with US military protection – under what Trump has called “Project Freedom”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that events in the strait “make clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis”.
He added: “Project Freedom is Project Deadlock.”
Maersk said the transit of one of its commercial vessels was “completed without incident, and all crew members are safe and unharmed”.
The Strait of Ho
Nine ships use Strait of Hormuz as ‘renewed tensions’ to slow traffic: CAS
Nine ships use Strait of Hormuz as ‘renewed tensions’ to slow traffic: CAS
in
International Shipping News
06/05/2026
Nine ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on May 3, down from 13 on May 2 and 21 on May 1, S&P Global Commodities at Sea(opens in a new tab) said in a May 4 report.
The May 3 traffic comprised three cargo ships, two bulk carriers, two landing craft, one bitumen tanker and one LPG small gas carrier, CAS said. Three of the ships entered the Persian Gulf, including the LPG tanker G Jades, which is part of the Iranian fleet and is currently in ballast, CAS said. It passed the US naval blockade May 2, CAS said.
Another Iranian ship, the VLGC Sarv Shakti, left Hormuz heading east on May 2 and also crossed through the US naval blockade on May 3, CAS said.
“Shipping at the Edge of a New Risk Order”
“Shipping at the Edge of a New Risk Order”
in
Hellenic Shipping News
06/05/2026
T
he global shipping industry is no longer navigating isolated crises. It is operating within a persistent, interconnected risk environment, where geopolitical tensions, energy flows, food security, and insurance capacity are increasingly interdependent.
The conflicts spanning the Middle East, the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war, and the growing instability across key maritime corridors are not temporary disruptions. They are shaping a new structural risk framework — one that will define the industry for the next decade.
Crowley Confirms US-Flagged CS Anthem Safely Transited Strait of Hormuz
Photo courtesy Crowley
Crowley Confirms US-Flagged CS Anthem Safely Transited Strait of Hormuz
Mike Schuler
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May 5, 2026
Crowley has confirmed that one of its managed vessels has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, providing more visibility into the limited number of U.S.-flagged ships that have exited the Persian Gulf since the conflict began.
In a statement, Crowley Maritime said the Crowley-managed vessel
CS Anthem
“has safely completed its transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“The safety of our crews and vessel, and the continuity of service for our customers, remain our top priorities,” the company said, while also recognizing “the professionalism of U.S. Navy and government partners who work globally to support maritime safety.”
Crowley declined to provide further operational details, noting that “as a matter of policy, we do not discuss details of vessel routing or security arrangements.”
The
CS Anthem
is now one of two U.S.-flagged commercial vessels co
U.S. Blockade and Hormuz Gridlock: Analyzing April’s Oil Market Disruption
Blockade and Hormuz Gridlock: Analyzing April’s Oil Market Disruption
in
International Shipping News
06/05/2026
A chaotic April ended with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed for a second consecutive month, cascading oil shortages across Asia and a U.S. blockade choking off Iranian tankers and oil exports.
Iran’s oil exports collapsed 43% over two months, according to data from Vortexa. forces had redirected 44 blockade-busting Iranian vessels across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, adding to economic pressure.
A 12-day ceasefire that began on April 8 was extended but failed to restore commercial transits or freedom of navigation through the Strait, with traffic down 93%.
Is there a ceiling to VLGC freight rates?
Is there a ceiling to VLGC freight rates?
in
International Shipping News
06/05/2026
D
uring the last two months that the Middle East Gulf conflict has been going on, we have seen record repositioning of the mainstream VLGC fleet toward the US Gulf Coast, peaking at 150 vessels mid-March.
As of April 30, the count of ballast VLGCs en-route to the USGC has returned to the January 2026 average, as US LPG exports reached a dataset high this April, at 2.8mbd.
Despite large swings in vessel availability, BLPG3 (USGC-to-Chiba) freight rates still continue to widen and the question now becomes whether there is a limit to this upside.
Pull from Asia strengthens, Panama congestion rises
US LPG exports to Asia reached a dataset record this April at 1.7mbd, rising 21% m-o-m. Continued tightness in MEG volumes has structurally strengthened US market share across Asia into June, as we highlighted previously.
Notably, US LPG exports pointed to Northeast Asia (NEA) strengthened by 23% m-o-m, setting a
U.S. Shifts to Shipping Protection as Trump Administration Declares ‘Epic Fury’ Over
The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. Shifts to Shipping Protection as Trump Administration Declares ‘Epic Fury’ Over
Bloomberg
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May 5, 2026
By Eric Martin, Josh Wingrove and Eltaf Najafizada (Bloomberg) — The US said offensive operations against Iran are over as it shifts to protecting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but the targeting of another cargo vessel after a day of strikes signaled that the conflict is dragging on.
“Operation Epic Fury is concluded,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House Tuesday, 66 days after the US and Israel began bombing Iran. “We achieved the objectives of that operation.”
While the US now seems intent on trying to deescalate the conflict, which has killed thousands in Iran and roiled global energy markets, the pathway to a deal that reopens the strait remains distant.