Hormuz Tensions Force Carrier Suspensions, Gulf Reroutes

Carriers are pulling back from Gulf routes after a spike in maritime security risk around the Strait of Hormuz, with ships slowing, anchoring outside the chokepoint and some ports briefly disrupting operations. Maersk, MSC, and Hapag-Lloyd have moved to suspend crossings or bookings, redirect vessels to shelter areas, and begin repricing risk through war-risk surcharges, signaling near-term pressure on schedules, capacity, and freight costs across energy and container flows.

Escalating conflict in the Middle East has intensified instability across the Gulf, disrupting regional logistics and prompting shipping lines and shipowners to reassess risk around key chokepoints. With incidents reported near the Strait of Hormuz and authorities signaling heightened security constraints, major carriers have suspended transits or bookings, while vessel traffic has dropped as operators seek safer routing and shelter areas.

According to Iranian media, vessels in the area are receiving repeated messages from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) telling them that no ship is allowed to cross the Strait of Hormuz. 

Lloyd’s List states that based on vessel-tracking signals, crude tanker movements through Hormuz have dropped sharply, with major crude tankers effectively absent from recorded transits during the latest escalation and overall vessel passings falling materially versus prior days.

The pullback follows a string of maritime incidents and rising operational uncertainty, as it is reported that projectiles hit two additional ships near the Strait of Hormuz, with shiptracking showing vessels “pooling” outside the strait as operators wait for clarity on the security environment and port status.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also received a report of an incident in the Port of Bahrain, that the vessel had been struck by two unknown projectiles causing a fire. UKMTO reports at least four other incidents in the area.

Operational conditions across Gulf ports have been uneven. GAC’s port updates indicated Dubai’s Jebel Ali temporarily suspended berthing and cargo operations “until further notice” during the height of the alerts, while other UAE ports such as Fujairah and Khorfakkan were reported as remaining operational. 

Ocean Carriers Trigger Suspensions, Reroutes, and War-Risk Pricing

Major liner operators have moved quickly to limit exposure:

• Hapag-Lloyd announced a suspension of Strait of Hormuz transits due to what it described as a security closure, and separately flagged a War Risk Surcharge for cargo to and from Upper Gulf/Arabian Gulf/Persian Gulf gateways

• Maersk said it is suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, warning customers that services calling Arabian Gulf ports may face delays, rerouting or schedule adjustments

• MSC implemented suspended worldwide bookings to the Middle East and instructing vessels already operating in, or heading to, the Gulf to proceed to designated safe shelter areas

Broader network impacts include diversions away from the Bab el-Mandeb-Suez corridor and increased use of the Cape of Good Hope routing, as carriers respond to the regional security picture and rising risk premiums.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic artery for global energy flows, so even a partial freeze in transits can ripple quickly into freight pricing, bunker planning, and insurance. Reuters reports on the current escalation notes multiple vessels damaged, disruptions to movements near Hormuz, and a jump in risk costs as insurers reassess cover in the Gulf and adjacent waters.

At least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers had dropped anchor in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, shipping data showed on Sunday. At the same time, Marine insurers are pulling back from the region after recent incidents, cancelling war risk cover for vessels, a move expected to push oil shipping rates even higher. Providers including Gard, Skuld, NorthStandard, the London P&I Club, and the American Club said their cancellations will take effect on March 5.

In the container market, the impact tends to show up fast as carriers re-price risk and ration capacity into affected ports through surcharges and network changes. Hapag-Lloyd’s introduction of a war-risk surcharge, and MSC’s booking suspension signal that carriers are treating Gulf calls as a high-uncertainty operating environment, at least in the near term. 

The Red Sea Context: A Reversal from “Normalization” Attempts

The new Hormuz shock also complicates earlier efforts by some operators to test improved security on the Red Sea corridor. In January, MBN reported Maersk’s stepwise return of its MECL service via Suez as Red Sea risk conditions appeared to ease. The latest advisories now point in the opposite direction, with carriers pausing or rerouting again as Gulf and Red Sea threat levels rise simultaneously.