CMA CGM shipowners tells its vessels in Gulf to ‘take shelter’

2026-02-28 - 23:24

CMA CGM became the second major shipping company to order its vessels away from the Gulf after US-Israeli strikes on Iran. (EPA Images pic) PARIS: French shipping group CMA CGM issued a statement Saturday telling its vessels in the Gulf to “take shelter” and suspending passage through the Suez Canal because of the regional conflict. It became the second major shipping company to order its vessels away from the Gulf after US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to retaliate with missile strikes at multiple targets across the region. “All ships currently in the Gulf, or on route to the Gulf, have received the instruction, with immediate effect, to take shelter,” said the statement from CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest shipping company. “Passage through the Suez is suspended until further notice and ships will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope,” which would prolong the journey by thousands of kilometres, the statement added. “Customers will be contacted as soon as further details are available regarding possible alternative ports for unloading their cargo.” Also on Saturday, the world’s fifth-largest shipowner, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, said it was suspending all transit through the Strait of Hormuz. “Due to the conflict in the Middle East and the official closure of the Strait of Hormuz by relevant authorities amid the evolving security situation in the region, Hapag-Lloyd is suspending all vessel transits through the waterway until further notice,” it said. “The safety and security of our crews, vessels, and (customers’) cargo remain our highest priority,” it added. The strait, which Iranian officials have often threatened to block in the event of a US attack, is a key transit point for global oil trade. Earlier Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned several ships that the strait was “basically closed”, the Tasnim news agency reported, owing to the ongoing conflict. The EU’s naval mission to the Red Sea confirmed that vessels had received radio messages despite no formal closure order. The Strait of Hormuz is frequently the scene of ship seizures and attacks. Approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through the narrow waterway daily in 2024, equivalent to nearly 20% of global liquid oil consumption, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).