A major Strait of Hormuz shipping disruption has left about 3,200 vessels and nearly 20,000 seafarers stranded west of the waterway. Rising security threats across the Persian Gulf have forced shipowners to delay transit and hold position, creating a growing maritime safety crisis.
Japan’s shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has taken delivery of a new LNG dual-fuel pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Lazulite Ace, built at the Tadotsu Shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding.
European and Ecuadorian authorities have dismantled a major cocaine trafficking network linked to the Los Lobos cartel that used European seaports and commercial maritime logistics to smuggle narcotics into the continent.
The LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz sank in the central Mediterranean after a powerful explosion and fire early on March 3. The incident occurred about 130–150 nautical miles north of Sirte and southeast of Valletta, as reported.
Greenpeace activists blocked a uranium cargo vessel at the Port of Dunkirk on March 2, protesting France’s ongoing nuclear trade ties with Russia. French police detained four demonstrators after a four-hour standoff, and port operations later resumed.
Arctic shipping activity reached a new high in 2025, citing data from the Arctic Council’s PAME working group. A total of 1,812 unique vessels operated within the Polar Code area – a 40% increase compared with 2013, when systematic tracking began.
A fatal cruise ship fire off Singapore claimed the life of one crew member on February 20. The blaze broke out aboard the Liberia-flagged MV World Legacy while the vessel was en route to Singapore.