Global trade faces fresh disruption as Maersk suspends key shipping routes through two of the world’s most strategic waterways, citing escalating security risks linked to the widening US-Israeli war on Iran.
The Danish shipping giant announced on Sunday that it will stop sending vessels through both the Suez Canal corridor and the Strait of Hormuz, a move that underscores how rapidly the conflict is spilling into global supply chains.
“We have decided… to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being,” Maersk said in an online advisory.
“The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority.”
The company also confirmed: “We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.”
Maersk joins a growing list of maritime operators scaling back operations after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday. The waterway handles nearly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil exports, making it one of the most critical energy chokepoints on the planet. Any sustained disruption there threatens to send shockwaves through global oil markets and freight costs.
The Suez Canal, meanwhile, serves as the principal shortcut between Europe and Asia, linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.