Danish shipping company Maersk on Sunday announced that it is suspending vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz after reports that it had been closed following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Footage from near the Strait of Hormuz shows a Palau-flagged oil tanker ablaze after what Oman’s maritime security centre said was a hit from an unidentified projectile.
At least three ships have been struck in the area and more than 150 others have avoided entering the strait. pic.twitter.com/P7xcAipiAL
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 1, 2026
“The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority. We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice,” Maersk announced in a statement.
Read more: Iran Guards say launched missile attack on Tel Aviv, Haifa and east Jerusalem
It also announced that all sailings on Middle East-India to Mediterranean and Middle East-India to East Coast US on services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope until further notice due to the “deteriorating security situation” in the region.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) also announced suspending “all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East region until further notice.”
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, with Tehran staging retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
Read more: Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven is rocked by blasts from Iranian airstrikes
On Saturday, Iranian media reported that the Strait of Hormuz had been “effectively” closed following US and Israeli attacks on the country.
Iran on Sunday confirmed the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials in Israeli and US attacks on the country.
Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of possessing nuclear and missile programs that threaten Israel, the only country in the region with a nuclear arsenal, and allies of the US. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is not seeking to produce nuclear weapons.
