Air, Freight News, Sea
More shipping turmoil as Trump strikes Iran – updated
[ March 2, 2026 // Chris Lewis ]Shipping lines are rushing to divert vessels away from the Middle East following US strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks on neighbouring countries.
Following reported attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and a warning by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that the waterway is unsafe, major container carriers including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and CMA CGM have halted services there and diverting vessels away from the waterway and region, with CMA CGM introducing a $4,000/FEU emergency surcharge for services to the affected areas, reports Judah Levine, head of research at the Freightos’ online platform.
“Diverting container traffic away from the Persian Gulf will mean increased volumes at alternatives like Khor Fakkan, ports in Oman or transshipment hubs in Sri Lanka, Malaysia or Singapore and could cause some congestion there,” Levine warned.
However, operations at DP World’s port of Jebel Ali in Dubai after an aerial interception caused a fire there on the night of Saturday 28 February.
Transport analyst Ti added that incidents had been reported at the ports of Manama in Bahrain and Duqm in Oman.
Effective closure of the Straits of Hormuz has also led to a spike in oil prices as the waterway is a major conduit for seaborne trade in the commodity.
On the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, Houthi rebels have threatened to resume strikes on shipping, “and carriers who had resumed some Red Sea sailings have diverted vessels back around the Cape of Good Hope, possibly pushing a full Red Sea return farther off,” said Levine.
Peter Sand, chief analyst at shipping data firm Xeneta said: “Carriers had been returning selected east-west ocean container services to transits via Suez Canal in recent months … If Houthi militia resume attacks, as now seems likely, carriers will reverse the decision to return services to the Red Sea. Any plans for a phased return of container shipping to the Red Sea in 2026 will be shelved until the security situation becomes clearer.”
Sands added that there were already signs of carriers are pre-empting the security deterioration, notably CMA CGM last month reversing a decision to return its FAL1, FAL3 and MEX to the Red Sea. Earlier this week, Maersk announced its ME11 and MECL services would be rerouted via Cape of Good Hope.
Sands commented: “Longer sailing distances around Cape of Good Hope absorb around 2.5 million TEU of capacity. A largescale return of container shipping to the Red Sea region would free up this capacity, slash transit times and potentially see freight rates collapse at a global level.
He added that average spot rates from China to North Europe are down 23% and 33%. With a largescale return of container ships to Red Sea in 2026 now unlikely, freight rates on major global trades will continue to soften, but will not fall as sharply as previously expected in the second half of the year as more services returned to Suez Canal transits.
Ocean container services in Persian Gulf have continued unaffected by the recent build-up of military forces in the region, but the escalation in conflict through military strikes mean ships will now avoid the area, but for as short a time as possible.
He said: “There is no viable alternative to getting containers in or out of ports such as Jebel Ali by ocean if Persian Gulf is off limits. Carriers will instead omit these calls on east-west services and drop boxes at a least-worst alternative port for onward transportation by road.
“This will cause severe disruption and port congestion at a regional level, but will not have a major impact on a global scale when compared to the seismic influence of conflict in the Red Sea.”
Air services have also been severely disrupted. With drone attacks on terminals, including Dubai, airports have been closed in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Dubai and Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Flydubai have suspended services. This, said Levine, could have broader effects given the region’s role as a transfer hub, though so far air cargo rates into and out of the Middle East have remained stable.
Ti said that, where possible, freighter services are still operating at airports region which less affected by the strikes but re-routing around closed airspace was adding to transit time and costs. The movement of many perishable goods has been suspended.
Tags: Freightos