Middle East container shipping is facing severe disruption after escalating conflict in the Gulf left more than 130 container vessels stranded in the region.
Container shipping in the Middle East is entering a period of major instability after the US and Israel launched large-scale air strikes on Iran on Saturday. The retaliatory actions of the Tehran regime including targeting infrastructure in neighbouring countries in the Middle East Gulf have badly compromised security in the region.
As a result of the escalation, the two major Straits of Hormuz and Bab-elMandeb in the region are no longer safe for navigation and no major liner operator is taking the risk of having vessels transiting.
In the early hours of 2 March, Alphaliner recorded 138 container ships trapped in the Arab Gulf, representing a total capacity of nearly 470,000 teu.
MSC and CMA CGM are the most affected carriers, with fifteen (109,000 teu) and fourteen (70,000 teu) vessels respectively seeking shelter.
For the Italo-Swiss line, this includes one ‘megamax’, the 19,224 teu MSC CLARA. COSCO SHIPPING likewise has two large 18,980 teu vessels in the region which, together with three feeders, comprise the bulk of its tonnage in the Gulf area.
Concurrently, 26 container ships outside the zone were listing destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Jebel Ali or Umm Said, despite expectations that they will soon be diverted following official carrier notices.
Although aerial strikes ignited at least one fire at Jebel Ali, the port remained a preferred refuge for operators, with twenty vessels moored alongside. DP World, which operates the facility, announced the resumption of commercial operations later on Monday.
Should the Strait of Hormuz remain hazardous for navigation, ports on the Arabian Peninsula’s exterior may emerge as the primary container gateways for the region. An Iranian drone attack on the port of Duqm however indicates that also Omani ports are not necessarily safe harbors.
Salalah in Oman already possesses a sizeable container terminal with 6.00 Mteu of annual design capacity, whereas the smaller UAE port of Khor Fakkan has gained momentum recently. Ad hoc calls for substantial vessels like the 14,074 teu CSCL STAR or the 14,036 teu MSC ALEXANDRA, which typically sail directly into the Gulf, are scheduled for the coming days.
Source: Alphaliner
