Maritime news

Headlines aggregated from the maritime press. Links go straight to the source — Seafarer Index does not reproduce full articles.

• In A First, British Army Charters Civilian Ferry To Move 1,400 Troops To NATO Exercise In Germany
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  The operation involved soldiers from the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade, known as The Desert Rats, boarding DFDS-operated ferry King Seaways.

• Mexico kicks-off IMO NZF debate
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026 · regulation

  The crucial debate at this month’s MEPC on the Net Zero Framework was launched with a full-throated defence of the regulation by US free trade partner Mexico

• Iran Threatens To Burn U.S Navy Warships At Sea & Mobilise The Resistance Front
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  Iran has threatened to burn U.S navy warships if America intensifies its military aggression against Iran.

• Iran ‘In State Of Collapse’ & Urging U.S To Reopen Hormuz, Claims U.S President Trump
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  U.S President Donald Trump said Iran had told Washington that it was in a state of collapse and urged America to reopen Hormuz.

• Mousterian, Samsung Heavy Sign Deal To Develop Floating Data Centers In U.S.
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  Combined with eco-friendly energy solutions, it will set new standards in the global data market and serve as a key driver of future growth.

• RWE locks in long-term buyers for Welsh offshore wind farm output
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  German utility RWE has signed two major power purchase agreements (PPAs) to supply renewable electricity from its Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm to Breedon Group and Network Rail. Breedon Group will receive around 70GWh of renewable electricity per year under a 15‑year PPA with RWE, sourced initially from the Gwynt y M

• US commits $774m to upgrade port infrastructure nationwide
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced a $774m investment into US port infrastructure. A total of 37 projects will receive funding under MARAD’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The awards are intended to improve capacity expansion, operational efficiency, and

• Aged Oil Tanker Suggests Iran Is Bringing Back Retired Ships
  gCaptain · 4/29/2026

  A 29-year-old Iranian supertanker has appeared at Kharg Island after years off the radar, a sign that Tehran could be using retired ships to keep loading oil as its storage space runs out.

• Stolt Tankers takes Tilla crew change travel solution fleetwide
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026

  Chemical tanker operator adopts digital crew travel solution after two successful pilot projects.

• Trump Urges Iran to Sign a Deal After Report Suggests US May Extend Blockade
  gCaptain · 4/29/2026

  U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to 'get smart soon' and sign a deal, following days of deadlock in efforts to end the conflict and a media report that the U.S. would extend its blockade of Iran's ports.

• New Zealand flags suspected North Korea sanctions breaches at sea
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has concluded a series of maritime patrols monitoring North Korea’s evasion of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions in the international waters of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Patrols conducted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force observed a possible ship-to-ship tra

• First Japan-Linked Supertanker With Saudi Oil Crosses Hormuz Since US-Iran War Began
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  A supertanker linked to Japan is transporting oil through the volatile Strait of Hormuz; the first such crossing by a Japanese-linked oil tanker since the U.S-Iran war.

• Ukraine Attacks Russia’s Tuapse Refinery For 3rd Time, Oil Spill Stretches 48 Miles
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  A Ukrainian drone strike caused a major fire at a Russian oil refinery in Tuapse on Tuesday.

• Is this the only container ship trading through Strait of Hormuz?
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026

  A SeaLead operated vessel has transited to and from the Arabian over the last 16 days

• U.S Marines Board Container Ship In Arabian Sea, Suspected of Sailing To An Iranian Port
  Marine Insight · 4/29/2026

  U.S Marines boarded a commercial vessel in the Arabian Sea, suspecting it was headed to an Iranian Port in violation of the U.S blockade of Hormuz Strait.

• TT Club extends war risk cover for containers on land in Middle East
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026

  London-based through transport mutual insurer, TT Club, has extended its marine war risks buyback cover to include intermodal connections on land

• CMT confirms bulker newbuild pair at Beihai Shipbuilding
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026

  The contracts follow on from a letter of intent between the yard and shipowner in second half of 2025

• Delay tactics cast shadow over MEPC
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  Familiar patterns of procedural delay are emerging at this week’s critical UN shipping summit in London, with sources close to the negotiations warning that the most contentious decisions are being deliberately deferred to the final hours of the meeting – leaving little time for meaningful resolution. The 84th session

• Geneva Dry hits its stride as deals flow and debate crackles on opening day
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  The third edition of Geneva Dry, the world’s premier commodities shipping conference, has opened in style, with a packed first day of dealmaking, debate and networking that underlined the Swiss city’s status as a hub for the dry bulk and commodities shipping world. Delegates flooded the conference floor from the openin

• Tanker approached by pirates off Somalia
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026 · piracy

  The suspicious approach to the tanker in the Indian Ocean comes as there are signs of a resurgence of Somali piracy

• Smart Ship Hub: Digitalisation now a necessity, not a choice
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  The maritime sector has spent years talking about digitalisation, but progress remains uneven. For Smart Ship Hub, the pitch is straightforward: bring everything into one place and make the data usable. Joy Basu, the company’s chief executive, frames it as a shift away from fragmented systems toward a single operationa

• Dee4 doubles down on ultramax play
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  Dee4 Capital Partners Fund II has snapped up a second ultramax, continuing its well-timed push into high-quality Japanese-built tonnage. The fund has acquired the 60,500 dwt Only You, a 2017-built unit from Sanoyas, for just under $29m. The vessel has been renamed Dee4 Pine. The ship was sold by another financial playe

• South Korea binds shipbuilding and shipping in new national industrial strategy
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  South Korea has formally launched a sweeping initiative to align its world-class shipbuilding and shipping industries under a single national strategy, acknowledging years of criticism that the two sectors have failed to capitalise on their combined strengths. The Shipbuilding-Shipping Mutual Development Strategy Counc

• Mission to Seafarers launches shore-based wellbeing index
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026 · wellbeing

  The Mission to Seafarers is extending its welfare measurement work beyond the ship’s rail, launching a new Shorebased Happiness Index to capture the wellbeing of maritime professionals working on land for the first time. The new index mirrors the methodology of the charity’s established Seafarers Happiness Index – whic

• Mercuria steps up fleet push with four bulker newbuilds
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  Swiss commodities trader Mercuria is continuing its move deeper into shipownership with an order for four kamsarmax bulk carriers at Wuhu Shipyard. The 82,000 dwt newbuildings will be tied into Mercuria’s global logistics system, marking another step away from its long-standing reliance on chartered tonnage toward a mo

• CULines books four newbuilds at Huangpu Wenchong
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  China United Lines (CULines) has re-entered the newbuilding market with an order for four 6,400 teu containerships. The Shanghai-based intra-Asian carrier has contracted CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding in Guangzhou for the series, with CSSC Trading involved in the deal. The move marks CULines’ first ship order since

• Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation Q1 profits up 207%
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/29/2026

  Chinese shipowner benefits from booming rates for crude oil tankers in the first quarter of the year

• Cyan Renewables secures long-term AHTS contract in New Zealand
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  Singapore-based offshore wind vessel player Cyan Renewables has signed a contract with OMV to keep one of its anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels operating in New Zealand waters. OMV New Zealand awarded a long-term contract to the 2009-built MMA Vision anchor handler. The deal is for up to five years and will sta

• Vineyard Wind deal set to save $1.4bn on electricity bills for Massachusetts customers
  Splash247 · 4/29/2026

  The US state of Massachusetts has activated the Vineyard Wind offtake contracts, which are expected to save its residents $1.4bn in electricity bills over the next 20 years. This past winter, Vineyard Wind lowered electricity prices by competing in wholesale electricity markets, consistently offering lower prices than

• US-Led Bloc Condemns China Pressure on Panama-Flagged Ships
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday released a joint statement with five Latin American and Caribbean governments backing Panama’s sovereignty and condemning pressure tied to recent actions against Panama-flagged vessels, escalating...

• U.S. Forces Search and Release Containership Suspected of Violating Blockade on Iran
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  U.S. forces boarded a commercial vessel in the Arabian Sea on Monday as Washington stepped up enforcement of its blockade on Iranian ports, with U.S. Central Command saying 39 vessels have now been redirected since the operation began.

• Security Council Demands Freedom of Navigation in Hormuz as Shipping Risks Mount
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  The United Nations Security Council heard urgent calls Monday to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, as world leaders warned disruptions in one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints...

• Opposition to Jones Act Waiver Extension Widens as Maritime Industry Pushes Back
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  The Trump administration’s decision to extend its broad Jones Act waiver another 90 days is drawing mounting opposition across the U.S. maritime sector, with labor unions, domestic operators, trade groups...

• UAE Quits OPEC in Major Blow to Global Oil Producers’ Group
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was quitting OPEC, dealing a heavy blow to the oil producers' group as an unprecedented energy crisis triggered by the Iran war exposes discord among Gulf nations.

• Iran’s Guards Seize Wartime Power, Blunting Supreme Leader’s Role
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  Two months into a war with the U.S. and Israel, Iran no longer has a single, undisputed clerical arbiter at the pinnacle of power — an abrupt break with the past that may be hardening Tehran’s stance as it weighs renewed talks with Washington.

• Trump Says Iran Wants Hormuz Open in Tussle Over War’s End
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  President Donald Trump said Iran has asked the US to lift a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz while the two sides negotiate an end to the two-month war, which has upended global energy supplies.

• Royal Caribbean Orders Two More Icon-Class Megaships From Meyer Turku
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  Royal Caribbean Group is doubling down on the world’s largest cruise ship class, confirming orders with Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku for a sixth and seventh Icon-class vessel to be delivered...

• EU Navfor monitoring pirated ships off Somalia
  Seatrade Maritime · 4/28/2026 · piracy

  Naval force responds to Honour 25 and Sward hijackings by Somali pirates last week.

• Crew Member Falls Overboard From Norwegian Cruise Ship, USCG Suspends Search Off Cape Cod
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The incident also marks the second reported case this month involving a Norwegian Cruise Line crew member lost overboard.

• Iran Offers To Reopen Strait Of Hormuz If US Ends Blockade, Delays Nuclear Talks
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The offer was reportedly passed to Washington through Pakistan and would delay discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme until a later stage.

• Six Tankers Carrying Iranian Oil Forced To Turn Back Under U.S. Blockade
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  Iran has imposed restrictions on shipping moving through the strait, while the US announced a blockade on Iran-related shipping on April 13.

• Japan Plans World’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Farm To Power Tokyo
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  Unlike bottom-fixed offshore wind farms, floating wind turbines sit on buoyant platforms anchored to the seabed through mooring systems.

• Idemitsu Maru Tanker Carrying Saudi Oil Seeks to Cross Strait of Hormuz
  gCaptain · 4/28/2026

  Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, is attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Tuesday, and is poised to be the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the Iran war began.

• China Delivers Its Largest-Ever Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier Celsius Georgetown
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  Construction of the vessel began in October 2023. It is the first of six identical LNG carriers ordered by Celsius Shipping in late 2022.

• Sanctioned Russian Billionaire’s $500M Superyacht Crosses Hormuz Despite US Naval Blockade
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  Nord is one of the largest superyachts in the world. It has 20 cabins, two helipads, a swimming pool, and a private submarine.

• Hydrogen-Powered AUV Exceeds 2,000 km In 385-Hour Fully Submerged Mission
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The Envoy AUV executed more than 4,000 turns and manoeuvres, each of which increased energy demand compared with steady, linear travel.

• Iran Fires Warning Shots At Togo-Flagged Tanker Carrying 12 Indian Crew Near Oman
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026 · accident

  The incident took place on April 25 near the outer port limits of Shinas in Oman and involved the chemical tanker MT Siron.

• Video: Workboat Slams Into Moored Fast Ferry In Norway, Tears Large Gash In Hull
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The vessel involved was identified by AIS as Multi Power, a 27-meter workboat serving Norway’s aquaculture sector.

• Ulsan Port Completes World’s First Port-to-Ship Ammonia Bunkering For Commercial Vessel
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The operation was carried out at Pier 2 of Ulsan Main Port, where about 600 tonnes of clean ammonia were supplied to a dual-fuel gas carrier.

• First LNG Tanker Crosses Strait Of Hormuz Since Middle East Conflict Began
  Marine Insight · 4/28/2026

  The 136,357-cubic-meter Mubaraz loaded cargo at ADNOC’s Das Island facility in the United Arab Emirates in early March.