The seizure of container ship MSC Aries by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 13, poses a major issue for the maritime industry, as it threatens to further jeopardize trade lanes in the Middle East.
The MSC Aries, with a Deadweight Tonnage (DWT) of 15,8097 and 14,300 TEU capacity, is Portuguese (Madeira) flagged, chartered to MSC, and owned by Gortal Shipping Inc. The container ship was seized 50 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah, an area near the Strait of Hormuz that serves as the entrance to the Arabian Gulf.
The container ship, built in 2020 by Hyundai HI in Ulsan, Republic of Korea, had just completed a call at Khalifa port in the UAE. It was en route to its next destination, Nhava Shiva port in India, with cargo onboard, and was scheduled to arrive on Monday, 15 April 2024. The ship is classed by Lloyd’s Register and is insured from Steamship Mutual.
As advised, ships transiting the region should conduct a thorough threat assessment and liaise closely with military forces to ensure they are fully protected against further possible aggression by Iranian forces.
This incident comes amid ongoing conflict in the Red Sea region, where ocean freight container ships have been avoiding the area due to missile attacks by Houthi militia.
An already bad situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has just worsened and could put ocean freight container imports and oil exports in the Middle East at risk. We don’t yet know the full details of the incident in the Strait of Hormuz, but any widening of the conflict, which has already resulted in significant disruption to ocean freight services in the Red Sea region, would be extremely concerning.
… said Peter Sand, Chief Analyst at Xeneta
He also noted that for example, Dubai is a regional hub for imports and sea-air corridors, with containers arriving by ocean via the Strait of Hormuz for onward travel by air to Europe and North America. If ships are prevented from sailing into the Arabian Gulf, the disruption would be considerable, Sand highlighted.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) strongly condemned the seizure of the MSC Aries by Iranian forces, saying that the welfare of the 25 innocent seafarers being held hostage is the highest priority for the ICS, which calls for their immediate release, along with the release of the ship.
Iran’s seizure of the MSC Aries is a flagrant breach of international law and an assault on freedom of navigation. This reprehensible attack against a merchant ship once again places innocent seafarers on the front lines of geopolitical conflict.
… Guy Platten, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, commented on the situation.
As informed, the seafarers working on the ship are from India, Philippines, Pakistan, and Russia.
The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) also joins the calls by the ICS for the immediate release of the seafarers and the ship.
Patrick Verhoeven, IAPH’s Managing Director, expressed his deepest concern for the welfare of the seafarers of the ship, noting that it follows the hijacking of the crew of the Ro-Ro carrier Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea back in November. He stated that innocent seafarers are suffering directly as a consequence of geopolitical conflicts, highlighting serious implications for the global maritime communities and the ports that serve them, as mentioned by their colleagues at the International Chamber of Shipping.
The attack today in the Gulf of Oman has the potential to further disrupt cargo transits in and out of the region, which will impact all of our member ports one way or another. This makes it all the more important to share information and know-how on how to respond to these constant disruptions, together.
… Verhoeven explained
To remind, this incident took place a few days after Tangsiri made remarks in an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV channel, stating, “If we want, we could close this waterway, but we do not do that… It is because as long as we use this waterway and this strait, our neighbors should use it as well.”
