The US-Israeli coalition's military action against Iraq forced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and multiple Middle Eastern countries simultaneously sealed their airspace. This critical global energy and trade chokepoint fell into paralysis, triggering a drastic reconfiguration of the international logistics landscape: costs soared, capacity plummeted, and delivery times collapsed, subjecting the global supply chain to a new round of stress tests.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is facing an unprecedented transportation standstill in recent years. In response to the current security situation, many global shipping companies have promptly taken risk-aversion measures. Recently, they have successively issued announcements to suspend the passage of their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to fully ensure the safety of crew members, ships and cargo.

Maersk has announced that it will reroute some of its shipping routes through the Cape of Good Hope to address the unforeseen restrictions in the Red Sea and its surrounding operational environment. The company also warns its customers that the rerouting will result in a 10 to 15-day extension of the voyage and a significant increase in the delivery cycle of goods.

CMA CGM: It has instructed all ships in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters to immediately head for safe areas for shelter, and has announced the suspension of passage through the Suez Canal. All major shipping routes to Europe and Asia will temporarily take a detour via the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

Hapag-Lloyd: On March 1st, the company officially announced that it would suspend the passage of all ships through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. The company also warned that there would be severe delays or overall rerouting for services calling at ports in the Arabian Gulf.

COSCO:For the ships that have already entered the Persian Gulf, if it is safe to do so, they will complete their scheduled port calls and operations, then remain at anchor or anchor in safe waters. For the ships heading towards the Persian Gulf, we have informed them to pay attention to navigation safety and take measures such as reducing speed, moving to safe waters, or anchoring at designated sheltered anchorages and waiting for further instructions.

MSC：All cargo reservations for travel to the Middle East region worldwide have been suspended until further notice. All ships currently operating in the Gulf region and those en route to the region have been instructed to proceed to designated safe anchorage areas until further notice.

The circumnavigation of the Cape of Good Hope significantly prolonged the voyage, resulting in a sharp increase in fuel, crew, and storage costs. At the same time, insurance companies raised war insurance premiums and additional premiums by up to 300% to 500%. Industry insiders pointed out that this means global shipping costs will rise to their highest point in nearly a decade, and the volatility and uncertainty of the shipping market have entered a new stage. 

The shipping company has completely suspended operations in the Persian Gulf and cancelled booking requests. For the time being, goods in the Middle East will still be in a situation of "no available shipping space and severe backlog". 

????  Emergency Advice: 

Port resumption does not mean the elimination of risks. Please immediately contact customer service to verify whether the ships in transit have changed their routes, and re-evaluate the feasibility of the incoming goods and the risk of detention for those that are waiting to be dispatched. Do not ship blindly.

This conflict between the United States and Iran is not only a geopolitical game, but also an emergency test for the global logistics system. Han Yue International will closely monitor policy developments and simultaneously make preparations for alternative markets and backup supply chains to maintain flexibility. It will optimize market layout, preset alternative solutions, and enable shippers to maintain resilience and toughness in the face of fluctuations. If you need the latest information or customized response plans, please feel free to contact our customer service.