Container shipping in the Middle East is entering a period of major instability after the US and Israel launched large-scale air strikes on Iran on Saturday. The retaliatory actions of the Tehran regime including targeting infrastructure in neighbouring countries in the Middle East Gulf have badly compromised security in the region.
As a result of the escalation, the two major Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab in the region are no longer safe for navigation and no major liner operator is taking the risk of having vessels transiting, said an Alphaliner analysis.
In the early hours of March 2, Alphaliner recorded 138 container ships trapped in the Arabian Gulf, representing a total capacity of nearly 470,000 TEU. It added that MSC and CMA CGM are the most affected carriers.
Although aerial strikes ignited at least one fire at Jebel Ali, the port remained a preferred refuge for operators, with twenty vessels moored alongside. DP World, which operates the facility, announced the resumption of commercial operations later on Monday.
Should the Strait of Hormuz remain hazardous for navigation, ports on the Arabian Peninsula’s exterior may emerge as the primary container gateways for the region. An Iranian drone attack on the port of Duqm however indicates that Omani ports are also not necessarily safe harbours.
Salalah in Oman already possesses a sizeable container terminal with 6 m TEU of annual design capacity, whereas the smaller UAE port of Khorfakkan has gained momentum recently, as per the analysis.
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