The four nuclear reactors at Barakah in the United Arab Emirates (ENEC)

The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

Published May 17, 2026 10:42 AM by The Strategist

[By Geoff Wade and Justin Bassi] Litigation by the Chinese lessee of Darwin Port is an attempt at stymying the Australian government’s stated aim of returning the facility to Australian control. The case started at the World Bank is no mere attempt at protecting a commercial interest. China’s objective is to use all its levers, whether the fear of economic and diplomatic coercion or delays in an international institution, to make the Australian government feel that its choices are constrained....

USS Gerald R. Ford and Strike Group Arrive Home Ending Record Deployment

Published May 16, 2026 3:10 PM by The Maritime Executive

USS Gerald R. Ford and her strike group returned to base, completing a record deployment and the first combat action for the Navy’s newest carrier. The ship, which had deployed on June 24, 2025, for what was expected to be a routine mission to participate with NATO on exercises and visit the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, instead found herself involved first in the actions around Venezuela and then returned to the Mediterranean and Red Sea for the commencement of the...

British and American Nuclear Submarines Appear in Gibraltar

Published May 16, 2026 12:25 PM by The Maritime Executive

Two nuclear submarines have made surprise appearances in Gibraltar. The Royal Navy’s HMS Anson arrived in Gibraltar days after an American nuclear submarine that was thought to be USS Alaska made a brief stop in the British overseas territory. The Royal Navy’s Astute Class nuclear attack submarine HMS Anson (S124), which left Faslane on January 10 for an extended duration deployment to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, was seen docking back in Gibraltar on May 14. After its outward journey,...

USCG Storis Completes Winter Bering Sea Deployment as Commissioning Proceed

Published May 15, 2026 7:22 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Coast Guard is highlighting that its newest polar icebreaker, USCG Storis, completed a grueling 36-day deployment to the Bering Sea during harsh winter conditions as the crew training and commissioning of the vessel continue. She returned to her homeport in Seattle on May 11 Commissioned in 2025, Storis is the first polar icebreaker added to the Coast Guard in more than two decades. Originally built for commercial operations, Storis is a 360-foot medium icebreaker with a displacement of...

Shipping

Hormuz Traffic Increases as Iran Metes Out Passage for Political Gain

Daily reports continue to show a metered flow of tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz, with signs that Iran is increasing the activity to win political favor and propaganda gains. Countries, including China, India, and Japan, are reported to have been permitted to bring vessels out of the Persian Gulf while U.S. Central Command continues to assert the blockade is in full force. Timed to Donald Trump’s state visit to China, Iranian state TV reported that after requests from...

Tugs & Salvage

All quiet at Kharg Island, May 16 (Copernicus / Sentinel-2)

Iran's Empty Tankers are Still Running Blockade, But Loadings Have Stopped

The U.S. Navy's blockade on Iranian shipping continues to turn back vessels in the Gulf of Oman, but Central Command has not yet sealed up all of its leaks, according to TankerTrackers.com. Empty tankers are still making it through in small numbers and reaching safe anchorages off Iran's loading terminals. Since the launch in April, the forces assigned to the blockade have turned back 81 vessels and detained four more, CENTCOM said in a statement Sunday. The mission's objective is...

Government

The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

In a worrying harbinger of a possible collapse of the ceasefire in the Gulf, Iran appears to have mounted an attack with three drones against the four operational nuclear reactors at Barakah, located on the coast 150 miles west of Abu Dhabi and close to Qatari and Saudi territory. A small fire was caused outside the nuclear site's secure area by one of the drones, but no damage was done to the reactors themselves, and they remain operational. The nuclear...

Corporate News

Lloyd’s Register Awards its First Submarine AiP to Hanwha Ocean

[By Lloyd’s Register] The move reflects the growing role of independent assurance in naval procurement and export programmes. Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded its first Approval in Principle (AiP) for an export submarine design to Hanwha Ocean. The AiP has been issued for Hanwha Ocean’s independently developed 2,000 tonne export submarine platform, using LR’s Submarine Assurance Framework. It confirms that the concept design meets internationally recognised standards and provides early-stage assurance on safety, interoperability and design robustness. LR’s Submarine Assurance...

Cruise Ships

Viking Transitions Management as Torstein Hagen Becomes Executive Chairman

Viking Holdings, a cruise company that has grown to be a leader in the premium market for river, ocean, and exploration voyages, announced its management succession that sees founder and well-known CEO Torstein Hagen transition to the role of Executive Chairman. He will be succeeded by long-time financial executive Leah Talactac as President and Chief Executive Officer as the company continues on a strong growth path. The company reported strong financial results today, driven by improved net yields, a strong...

Ports

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

Shipping

Hormuz Traffic Increases as Iran Metes Out Passage for Political Gain

Tugs & Salvage

Iran's Empty Tankers are Still Running Blockade, But Loadings Have Stopped

Government

The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

Corporate News

Lloyd’s Register Awards its First Submarine AiP to Hanwha Ocean

Cruise Ships

Viking Transitions Management as Torstein Hagen Becomes Executive Chairman

Ports

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

Offshore

UK Approves Three Offshore Wind Farms as it Looks to Next Allocation Round

The UK continues to push forward with its focus on renewable energy, with the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announcing the approval of three projects, two of which have already completed electricity contracts and are likely to move forward quickly. It comes as the Crown Estate released a new report saying the UK has reached 19 percent of its energy generation coming from offshore wind energy and a total of 30 percent coming from a combination of onshore and offshore wind...

Shipbuilding

First Installation of Solid Wind Sails on an LNG Carrier

Pictures recently appeared showing the first-ever installation of solid wind sails on an LNG carrier. Hanwha Ocean highlighted the vessel, which is nearing construction at its shipyard in South Korea, as part of a project for Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. MOL, working with Japanese shipbuilder Oshima Shipbuilding Company, commercialized the designs for a telescopic sail made of fiber-reinforced plastic and installed the first one on a coal carrier, which entered service in October 2022. It has continued to...

Environment

A giant guitarfish is among the species being caught by bottom trawling. (Sarah Foster)

Op-Ed: Bottom Trawl Operators Need to Prove That They Are Sustainable

[By Sarah Foster and Amanda Vincent] Bottom trawlers extract one-quarter of the world’s fisheries catches by weight and raise significant ecological, economic and social concerns. Given that, you’d think there would be an answer to basic questions in fisheries: how many fish species are being caught, and what are they? In reality, though, bottom trawling is often proceeding blindly. Bottom trawling is widespread and problematic. Gears operate by dragging large weighted nets across the ocean floor (some as wide as...

Business

Global Maritime Firms Prioritize Expansion in West Africa

Rerouting of global trade around the Cape of Good Hope has presented growth opportunities for some regions in Africa. Particularly, West Africa has greatly benefited from the diversion of the shipping traffic, with major maritime companies expanding their presence in the region. The longer voyage around the Cape of Good Hope has spiked demand for bunker fuels at emerging supply points in Africa. In addition, demand for ship repair services is also rising, an opportunity that West African countries appear...

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The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

USS Gerald R. Ford and Strike Group Arrive Home Ending Record Deployment

British and American Nuclear Submarines Appear in Gibraltar

USCG Storis Completes Winter Bering Sea Deployment as Commissioning Proceed

Hormuz Traffic Increases as Iran Metes Out Passage for Political Gain

Iran's Empty Tankers are Still Running Blockade, But Loadings Have Stopped

The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

Lloyd’s Register Awards its First Submarine AiP to Hanwha Ocean

Viking Transitions Management as Torstein Hagen Becomes Executive Chairman

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

SNAME: The Quiet Engine Behind Shipbuilding

How Port Everglades is Meeting the Travel Momentum Moment

What Maritime Transition Means in Practice?

Hormuz Traffic Increases as Iran Metes Out Passage for Political Gain

Iran's Empty Tankers are Still Running Blockade, But Loadings Have Stopped

The Odds of Renewed Hostilities With Iran are Increasing

Lloyd’s Register Awards its First Submarine AiP to Hanwha Ocean

Viking Transitions Management as Torstein Hagen Becomes Executive Chairman

Op-Ed: Australia Should Eject Chinese Operator From Port Darwin

UK Approves Three Offshore Wind Farms as it Looks to Next Allocation Round

First Installation of Solid Wind Sails on an LNG Carrier

Op-Ed: Bottom Trawl Operators Need to Prove That They Are Sustainable

Global Maritime Firms Prioritize Expansion in West Africa

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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