Daily Brief

According to Splash247, the second month of the Iran war has opened with a sharp escalation in threats to global shipping. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fired their first missiles since the conflict began, drone strikes targeted the port of Salalah in Oman, and a last-minute reversal by COSCO added further uncertainty to an already volatile operating environment. Separately, Maritime Executive and gCaptain report that two Chinese-owned containerships were ultimately permitted to transit the Strait of Hormuz on March 30, following an earlier aborted attempt, as Iran has been selectively allowing Chinese-flagged vessels through. With Brent crude heading for a record monthly rise on the back of the widening conflict, gCaptain notes markets are pricing in sustained disruption risk across key Gulf and Red Sea chokepoints. A search for three crew members missing after a Thai-flagged cargo vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz has failed to locate them, gCaptain reports, underscoring the human cost of the ongoing conflict.

Maritime Executive reports that the Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin completed a three-week trans-Atlantic transit and arrived in Cuban waters carrying 100,000 metric tons of crude, despite a U.S.-ordered embargo. Russia has pledged to stand by Cuba and indicated further supply arrangements are under consideration. The episode highlights the continued use of Russian tonnage to circumvent Western pressure and the limits of enforcement against state-backed trade flows, particularly as the Trump administration ultimately signaled it would allow the vessel to dock, per gCaptain, alleviating an acute energy crisis on the island.

Splash247 reports that Ukraine's sustained drone campaign against Russian oil export facilities has intensified, with Ust-Luga port sustaining strikes for a fifth consecutive day over the weekend. No loadings have been recorded at the port since March 23, when the campaign began. The disruption to one of Russia's primary Baltic crude export terminals is significant, with potential knock-on effects for the volumes of Russian oil reaching global markets and for the shadow fleet vessels that regularly call at the facility.

Ordering activity remained active across multiple vessel classes. Splash247 reports Athens-based Erasmus Shipinvest has contracted up to eight kamsarmax bulkers at Jiangsu New Hantong, marking a departure from the owner's traditional reliance on Japanese yards. Greek owner Panos Laskaridis is continuing to build out a suezmax crude tanker position, contracting a 157,000 dwt vessel at DH Shipbuilding in South Korea for 2029 delivery, Splash247 reports. Schoeller Holdings has booked two additional 32,000 dwt multipurpose heavylift vessels at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong, with deliveries set for 2029, Splash247 notes. On the RoPax side, Maritime Executive reports Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 13th vessel in its 15-ship E-Flexer series from China Merchants Industry in Weihai.

Splash247 reports that Ocean Network Express has signed a share purchase agreement for a 30% stake in Hutchison Laemchabang Terminal Limited in Thailand, extending the liner's push to secure port capacity across its key trade corridors. On the naval and defense shipbuilding front, Maritime Executive reports Hanwha Philly Shipyard has secured its first Navy newbuild project under Korean management, a subcontract to Vard for the light replenishment oiler program, while gCaptain separately notes that Vard Marine US has won the prime contract to advance early-stage design work on the Navy's Next Generation Logistics Ship. Also of note for the commercial fleet, Great Lakes operators are flagging a slow start to the 2026 season due to ice conditions, with potential implications for early-season bulk cargo movements, Maritime Executive reports.