Container Shipping Companies Divert Vessels Following Military Strikes on Iran

By Dominic Chopping

Container shipping companies including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are rerouting vessels around the southern tip of Africa as they avoid the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend.

Maersk said in a statement that due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region it had decided to pause trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a pinch-point that sits between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that ships must travel through to navigate to and from the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal is a key maritime corridor, offering the fastest and most efficient route between Asia and Europe. Ships had only recently returned to the area after spending more than two years avoiding the region as Houthi militants in Yemen had been attacking ships traversing the area following the October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel and subsequent military action by Israel in Gaza.

Until further notice, all Maersk sailings on the Middle East-India to Mediterranean and Middle East-India to East Coast U.S. services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, it said.

In addition, the Danish shipping group said it was suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. "As a result, services calling ports in the Arabian Gulf may experience delays, rerouting, or schedule adjustments," it said.

Hapag-Lloyd said that due to the conflict in the Middle East and the official closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the evolving situation in the region, it had suspended all vessel transits through the waterway until further notice.

It is also rerouting all sailings on its IMX service that connects India and the Middle East with the Mediterranean around the Cape of Good Hope until further notice.

CMA CGM said it was taking all necessary measures to safeguard its vessels and protect customers' cargo. All 14 of its vessels inside the Persian Gulf and a further seven that were bound for the region have been instructed to immediately proceed to shelter, it said.

"Passage through the Suez Canal has been suspended until further notice, and vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope," it said.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 02, 2026 02:48 ET (07:48 GMT)