Latest Shipping News & Updates

Washington, May 6 (IANS) The United States has launched a major naval operation in the Strait of Hormuz to escort stranded commercial vessels and restore shipping through one of the world’s most critical oil routes, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio accusing Iran of illegally “holding the global economy hostage”.Speaking at the White House on Monday, Rubio said President Donald Trump had authorised “Project Freedom” to guide trapped civilian ships to safety after weeks of escalating …

Washington, May 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said “Project Freedom” — the American-led movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz — has been paused temporarily after what he described as progress in negotiations with Iran and requests from Pakistan and other countries.“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been ma…

Washington, May 5 (IANS) The current US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz has left thousands of commercial vessels stranded, disrupting global trade and threatening energy supplies, with potential ripple effects for import-dependent economies like India.US officials said more than 22,500 mariners aboard over 1,550 commercial vessels are currently unable to transit the region due to Iranian attacks and threats to shipping.The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical waterway between Iran and O…

Washington, May 5 (IANS) US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine have outlined “Project Freedom” as a limited, defensive military mission aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions with Iran. Hegseth said the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump to “restart the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz under the umbrella of Project Freedom,” stressing that it is “separate and d…

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday said it was heartening to hear from fishermen that the ‘Matsya Saagaramala’ programme, undertaken with the aim of providing light to the steps of fishermen heading to the coast in the pitch-black darkness of midnight, is yielding positive results.The minister inaugurated the ‘Matsya Saagaramala’ programme in Erramukkom village, Sompeta Mandal.“In the Srikakulam Parliament constituency, along with the coastal road, …

United Nations, April 30 (IANS) Warning of a steep fall in economic growth and a rise in poverty around the world due to the Iran war, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his demand for the immediate restoration of free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”As with every conflict, the whole of humanity is paying the price – even if a few are reaping huge profits,” he told reporters. “The pain will be felt for a long time to come.”The war’s “consequences are not cumulative. They ar…

Washington, April 30 (IANS) The White House is asking other countries to join a US-led international coalition aimed at enabling ships to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, American media has reported. The so-called “Maritime Freedom Construct” (MFC) was spelt out in an internal State Department cable sent to US embassies on Tuesday, urging US diplomats to press foreign governments into signing up, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on Wednesday (local time).The MFC would be a joint e…

Washington, April 24 (IANS) The US on Friday warned that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains under heightened risk, even as limited transit continues amid escalating tensions with Iran. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, said vessels were still moving through the critical waterway but under conditions of increased danger due to Iranian actions.”Transit is occurring… much more limited than anybody would like to see and with more risk than people would like to see,” he said at a Pentagon …

Paris, April 13 (IANS) France and the United Kingdom (UK) are set to co-host talks later this week on restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement released on X, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need to restore free and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible and for ensuring that Lebanon returns to the path of peace in full respect of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called for resolving the conflict in the Middl…

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said that nearly 90 per cent of backlog cargo at major ports has been cleared, following swift intervention and continuous monitoring by the government amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials and port authorities, Sonowal said coordinated and proactive measures helped stabilise operations quickly, ensuring minimal impact on India’s…