U.S. Forces Board Sanctioned Tanker in Indo-Pacific as Iran Crackdown Expands Beyond Hormuz
forces board the stateless tanker Tifani (IMO: 9273337) without incident inside the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Photo from Department of War video
U.S.
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Still Largely Halted
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Still Largely Halted
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 21, 2026
LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) – Shipping traffic through the
Strait of Hormuz
remained broadly halted on Tuesday with only three ships passing the waterway in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed.
A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has infuriated Tehran, prompting it to maintain its own restrictions on the strait, which had been typically handling roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
The Ean Spir products tanker, which had no known flag or known ownership, sailed through Hormuz on Tuesday after previously calling at an Iraqi port, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.
The Lian Star cargo ship, which had no known flag or known ownership, also sailed through the strai
Strait of Hormuz traffic falls off sharply as ceasefire wobbles
Strait of Hormuz traffic falls off sharply as ceasefire wobbles
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
Eight vessels transited the contested Strait of Hormuz April 19, a drop of roughly two-thirds from the day before, S&P Global Commodities At Sea(opens in a new tab) said in an April 20 report.
Many ships approaching the strait turned back April 19, CAS said, in response to shots being fired at multiple ships and Iranian insistence that the narrow waterway was closed to commercial traffic.
At least 39 vessels moved toward the Strait of Hormuz to make an exit before turning back April 18. That includes the Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, two Indian-flagged tankers that were reportedly attacked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps while attempting to exit the strait, the CAS report said.
“Some vessels reversed course near the Omani coast while others did so closer to Iran,” CAS said.
On April 18, 29 vessels had passed through the narrow waterway, including several LPG tankers, following c
Possible armed boarding, elevated piracy concern off Somalia
Possible armed boarding, elevated piracy concern off Somalia
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
A possible armed boarding of an oil products tanker was reported about 24.0 nm southeast of Xaafuun (Hafun), Somalia, at around 12:00 UTC on 21 April 2026. In the same wider area, a separate boarding of a Somali-flagged fishing vessel by eleven armed individuals was also reported yesterday, reinforcing concern that the incident fits an active piracy-related threat pattern.
Key Points:
• Initial reporting indicates a possible boarding by armed intruders onboard an oil products tanker at approximately 10°03’N 051°27’E, around 24.0 nm southeast of Xaafuun (Hafun), Somalia. Authorities are investigating and no public confirmation has yet emerged regarding vessel identity, crew status, or final outcome.
• A separate security incident was reported at approximately 19:12UTC on the previous day, when eleven armed individuals reportedly boarded and took control of a Somali-flagged fishing vess
Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Opens, Celebrating 20 Years of Maritime Thought Leadership
Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Opens, Celebrating 20 Years of Maritime Thought Leadership
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
The Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2026 was officially launched today by Mr Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance. This year marks SMW’s 20th edition – reflecting two decades of convening global maritime leaders, shaping ideas and advancing the industry.
Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the annual event is taking place from 20 to 24 April this year, and brings together more than 20,000 participants from close to 80 countries and regions, including Ministers, senior government officials, industry leaders and maritime professionals. Participants will exchange views on shared challenges and practical pathways forward for international shipping.
At the opening ceremony, Mr Siow announced the launch of OCEANS-X[1], a new data and Application Programming Interface (API) eXchange platform
UN’s Maritime Agency Prepares Hormuz Evacuation Plan for Hundreds of Ships
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
UN’s Maritime Agency Prepares Hormuz Evacuation Plan for Hundreds of Ships
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 21, 2026
By Weilun Soon (Bloomberg) — The
International Maritime Organization
is working on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began more than seven weeks ago, according to Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.
The plan can only be put into action when there are clear signs of de-escalation, Dominguez said on the sidelines of Singapore Maritime Week on Tuesday. The United Nations agency would also need to ascertain if mines had been laid in the strait before sending ships through, he said.
“In order for us to do anything at all, we need to make sure that the conflict has come to an end, that there’s no
What Does China’s Shifting Grain Supply Strategy Mean for Global Commodity Trade Flows?
What Does China’s Shifting Grain Supply Strategy Mean for Global Commodity Trade Flows?
in
Dry Bulk Market
,
International Shipping News
22/04/2026
F
ollowing last year’s US-China trade truce, China has resumed purchases of US grains and soybeans, a development welcomed by Washington after years of steadily declining volumes. Yet even as Beijing honours its commitments to American farmers, it is simultaneously casting its net wider. This month, Chinese trader COFCO lifted the first Argentinian corn cargo bound for China in 15 years, a move that underscores how food security, rather than trade diplomacy, is driving Beijing’s agricultural strategy.
The urgency of that strategy has only sharpened in recent months, as conflict in the Middle East has forced the near total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global fertilizer flows and raising the prospect of smaller harvests and higher food prices in the season ahead.
China slashes US grain imports as Brazil fills the gap
The grain
Windward: Q1 2026 Risk Report: Shipping’s Most Turbulent Quarter in 50 Years
Windward: Q1 2026 Risk Report: Shipping’s Most Turbulent Quarter in 50 Years
in
International Shipping News
22/04/2026
O
n February 28, the Iran war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Within days, daily traffic through the world’s most critical oil chokepoint collapsed from roughly 120 vessels to a trickle — a 97% drop that left more than 800 ships stranded west of the strait, thousands of seafarers in limbo, and Asian refiners scrambling for crude that could no longer reach them.
It was not the only shock. The quarter opened with the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the culmination of a six-week U.S.
Only three ships cross Strait of Hormuz as shipping halt persists
Only three ships cross Strait of Hormuz as shipping halt persists
in
International Shipping News
22/04/2026
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted on Tuesday, with only three vessels crossing the waterway in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data reported on by Reuters on Tuesday.
The Ean Spir products tanker sailed through Hormuz on Tuesday after calling at an Iraqi port, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.
The Lianstar cargo ship also passed through the strait from an Iranian port, the data showed.
The Meda liquefied petroleum gas tanker crossed the strait on Monday in its second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back previously, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.
The three vessels represent a fraction of the 140 ships that sailed through daily before the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28.
More than a dozen tankers passed through the strait after Iran briefly declare
Hormuz Shipping Disruptions Show No End as Trump Extends Ceasefire, Maintains Blockade
AH-64 Apache helicopters fly over the Strait of Hormuz, April 17, 2026, with multiple commercial vessels visible below, as U.S. Army crews maintain a persistent aerial presence to support freedom of navigation and monitor maritime traffic in the strategic waterway. Central Command Photo
Hormuz Shipping Disruptions Show No End as Trump Extends Ceasefire, Maintains Blockade
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 15
April 21, 2026
President Donald Trump said he will extend the current ceasefire with
Iran
while maintaining the U.S.