Two of the world’s largest container shipping companies are preparing to return to the Suez Canal, a practical sign that parts of the trade network shaken by the Iran conflict are trying to move back toward normal.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said on Monday they would begin sailing through the canal again for the first time since February, after reviewing security conditions in the Red Sea, Aljazeera reported. The route had been disrupted by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, as well as attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi armed group.
For shipping firms, the detours have meant longer voyages, delayed cargoes and higher operating costs. For Gulf economies and global consumers, the pressure was felt through energy markets, supply chains and delivery schedules.
Industry data cited by Xeneta, a freight market analytics platform, showed container capacity in the region had collapsed by mid-June before recovering on some routes after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending the conflict.
The rebound has not erased the risks. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical passage for oil and gas exports, and there is no simple sea alternative for Gulf producers. Container lines, by contrast, have more room to reroute vessels through longer corridors when conflict threatens key waterways.
The International Maritime Organization has put protection of shipping lanes on the agenda at its meeting this week. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said “the impact has been felt well beyond the region, with real consequences for global trade, energy and food security.”
Freightos research head Judah Levine said smaller Gulf and Omani ports handled larger volumes during the disruption as companies built alternative paths around chokepoints.
“Containers find a way,” Levine said.
Internal Source Notes / Editor’s Notes
Internal review only — remove this entire section before publishing.
- Skipped: reuters.com — inaccessible
- Skipped: edition.cnn.com — blocked
- Skipped: bbc.com — blocked
- aljazeera.com — After Iran war upheaval, global shipping eyes return to status quo
Tags (set manually in WP): Middle East, Shipping, Suez Canal, Iran, Red Sea, Global Trade
