Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center Reopens—But Credentialing Backlog Could Stretch to a Year
Crew members from Coast Guard Station Cape May, N.J., prepare to assist the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable with mooring, Dec. Coast Guard Photo
Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center Reopens—But Credentialing Backlog Could Stretch to a Year
Mike Schuler
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May 4, 2026
The United States Coast Guard has resumed operations at its credentialing hub following the restoration of funding to the Department of Homeland Security, but the restart is unfolding under the weight of a backlog that could take months—if not longer—to unwind.
In a new update, the National Maritime Center (NMC) said it is returning to normal operations in a phased approach, prioritizing critical functions after the prolonged lapse in appropriations forced a shutdown of services. The system is back online, but it is far from caught up.
During the funding lapse, the NMC accumulated a backlog of more than 19,000 applications, with new submissions continuing to arrive even as processing slowed.
DNV: Port State Control – Q1 2026 Detention review and other updates
DNV: Port State Control – Q1 2026 Detention review and other updates
in
International Shipping News
05/05/2026
E
ffectiveness of safety management systems and fire safety readiness are still in focus for Port State Control (PSC) authorities. Our Q1 2026 review highlights key detention concerns, upcoming inspection campaigns, new procedures for PSC, and what ship operators should be addressing to reduce risk.
Introduction
PSC activity in the first quarter of 2026 confirms that enforcement remains firmly on the fundamentals:
Effective safety management system
Sound maintenance practices
Crew familiarity with critical systems
Detention statistics and newly announced inspection campaigns indicate that shortcomings in ISM implementation and fire safety remain the most significant compliance challenges for operators. Early awareness and targeted preparation are therefore essential to sustaining strong PSC performance amid an increasingly dynamic regulatory and geopolitical environment.
Q1 20
Shipping Awaits Clarity on ‘Project Freedom’ as Hormuz Risks Remain High
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
Shipping Awaits Clarity on ‘Project Freedom’ as Hormuz Risks Remain High
Mike Schuler
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May 4, 2026
BIMCO is urging shipowners to keep their guard up in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the overall security picture for commercial shipping is effectively unchanged despite U.S.
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
US-Iran Ceasefire Holds After Hormuz Clashes and UAE Strikes
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
US-Iran Ceasefire Holds After Hormuz Clashes and UAE Strikes
Bloomberg
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May 5, 2026
By Eltaf Najafizada and Omar Tamo
May 5, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The fragile US-Iran ceasefire held Tuesday morning after a day of clashes involving shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and missile attacks against the United Arab Emirates.
Relative calm returned to the Persian Gulf after US and Iranian forces exchanged fire Monday and Tehran launched missiles and drones toward the UAE, in the worst flareup since the ceasefire began less than a month ago.
The violence erupted after US President Donald Trump announced “Project Freedom,” which he described as a humanitarian effort to guide neutral ships stranded in the
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.