Shipping firms suspend Gulf routes as Iran war leaves 132 vessels trapped | South China Morning Post

Major shipping lines are suspending services and diverting vessels across the Middle East as escalating military tensions threaten a prolonged disruption of global supply chains, with the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint effectively closed to commercial traffic following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The crisis has ensnared both oil tankers and container ships, creating a maritime bottleneck that could ripple through international commerce. As of Monday, 132 container ships with a combined capacity of 458,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) remained trapped in the Persian Gulf, according to a note on Tuesday by container shipping intelligence firm Linerlytica.

It said these stranded ships represented a fraction of the 3.4 million TEU in total capacity that are operated on the routes passing through the Strait of Hormuz – roughly 10 per cent of the global container fleet – highlighting the waterway’s outsized importance to international trade.

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“A prolonged closure of the Hormuz would lead to a reconfiguration of these services and result in a short-term tightening in vessel supply and box equipment, as well as increased congestion at Asian ports,” Linerlytica warned.

A statement from Cosco Shipping Lines – the container shipping arm of China’s national shipping giant, Cosco Shipping – said on Monday that vessels heading to the Persian Gulf had been instructed to reduce speed, proceed to safe waters, or head to designated anchorages to await further notice. Ships already in the Gulf were directed to remain in safe waters or at anchorages.

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“We are currently evaluating contingency plans for all cargo on board, including potential alternative ports of discharge,” the statement said, adding that Cosco had two vessels in the Gulf, one that had already exited, and four approaching the region.