War prompts Maersk to suspend shipping routes serving Persian Gulf

March 6 (UPI) — Global shipping giant Maersk announced Friday it was temporarily halting two key routes linking the Middle East and Gulf region with the Far East and destinations in Europe as a precautionary step due to what it described as “the escalating” Iran conflict.

The company said in a news advisory that following an assessment of the risks to shipping in the Gulf region and an operational review, it had taken the decision “as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our personnel and vessels while minimizing operational disruption across our wider network.”

“For the ME11 [Middle East-Europe] and FM1 [Middle East-Far East] final eastbound voyage, we are finalizing the timing and vessel details and will update you as soon as this information is confirmed,” it added.

Maersk also said that it was suspending shuttle services within the Gulf region until further notice and that its ME1 service connecting the Middle East with Northern Europe would temporarily bypass Dubai in both directions and only stop in Oman before going straight on to India on the eastbound leg and Morocco on the return leg.

The suspensions ensure Maersk’s vessels stay clear of the Strait of Hormuz amid threats by Tehran to “set fire” to anything that tries to pass in or out of the Persian Gulf.

Markets see the Danish company as a bellwether of global trade, with the move adding to escalating supply chain disruptions due to the conflict engulfing the region following strikes launched against Iran by the United States and Israel at the weekend.

Shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas is shipped out from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the rest of world, is effectively at a total stop.

At least 147 container ships are stranded on the wrong side of the strait, taking refuge in the Persian Gulf.

Security fears have prompted major shipping lines, including Switzerland’s MSC and France’s CMA CGM, to ditch plans to resume using the Suez Canal route and continue diverting the long way round via the tip of southern Africa. MSC has temporarily halted all bookings for the Middle East.

The disruption has thrown schedules, caused congestion at ports and sent freight rates for everything higher.

Shares in Maersk were trading 0.6% higher on the NASDAQ Copenhagen Exchange on Friday afternoon at $2,637 a share.

function st_ss_sh533() {carousel.ga_b = ‘Embed’;carousel.show_ol([{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f0121377cc9099d2e9be0be6d26434c4\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_1_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f0121377cc9099d2e9be0be6d26434c4\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_1_1.jpg”,”id”:”f0121377cc9099d2e9be0be6d26434c4″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Annual Women’s History Month Event in Statuary Hall”,”c”:”Founder of the Women’s Tennis Association and tennis great Billie Jean King (C) smiles with representatives after speaking during an annual Women’s History Month event in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX in Statuary Hall at the U.S .Capitol in Washington on March 9, 2022. Women’s History Month is celebrated every March. Photo by Bonnie Cash\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[646,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”Founder of the Women’s Tennis Association and tennis great Billie Jean King (C) smiles with representatives after speaking during an annual Women’s History Month event in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX in Statuary Hall at the U.S .Capitol in Washington on March 9, 2022. Women’s History Month is celebrated every March. Photo by Bonnie Cash\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[646,431],”img_name”:”Annual-Womens-History-Month-Event-in-Statuary-Hall_1″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/92de6cc542adb88fcf4a46196fa77189\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_2_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/92de6cc542adb88fcf4a46196fa77189\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_2_1.jpg”,”id”:”92de6cc542adb88fcf4a46196fa77189″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”The Alamo”,”c”:”Visitors stop for a tour of the Alamo in San Antonio on February 9, 2015. The Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution, ended March 6, 1836. Photo by Bill Greenblatt\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,406],”lp”:1},”c”:”Visitors stop for a tour of the Alamo in San Antonio on February 9, 2015. The Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution, ended March 6, 1836. Photo by Bill Greenblatt\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,406],”img_name”:”The-Alamo_2″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/d1526d22368f597710160e0da0e80a44\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_3_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/d1526d22368f597710160e0da0e80a44\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_3_1.jpg”,”id”:”d1526d22368f597710160e0da0e80a44″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Vice President Harris visits Selma, Alabama”,”c”:”Vice President Kamala Harris (C) joins hands with community and civil rights leaders including Al Sharpton as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday on March 3, 2024, in Selma, Ala. On March 7, 1965, 600 activists, including John Lewis, aimed to march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights when they were violently confronted by law enforcement. Photo by Christian Monterrosa\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,420],”lp”:1},”c”:”Vice President Kamala Harris (C) joins hands with community and civil rights leaders including Al Sharpton as they cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday on March 3, 2024, in Selma, Ala. On March 7, 1965, 600 activists, including John Lewis, aimed to march from Selma to Montgomery to demand voting rights when they were violently confronted by law enforcement. Photo by Christian Monterrosa\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,420],”img_name”:”Vice-President-Harris-visits-Selma-Alabama_3″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f12ce141672862fe18dd2b2d408349e2\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_4_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f12ce141672862fe18dd2b2d408349e2\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_4_1.jpg”,”id”:”f12ce141672862fe18dd2b2d408349e2″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Funeral rapper Notorious B.I.G.- Christopher Wallace”,”c”:”The lead flower car for the funeral procession of rapper The Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, leaves Campbell’s funeral home in New York City on March 18, 1997. Wallace, a hip-hop legend, died on March 9, 1997, after a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Photo by Ezio Petersen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[598,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”The lead flower car for the funeral procession of rapper The Notorious B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, leaves Campbell’s funeral home in New York City on March 18, 1997. Wallace, a hip-hop legend, died on March 9, 1997, after a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Photo by Ezio Petersen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[598,431],”img_name”:”Funeral-rapper-Notorious-BIG-Christopher-Wallace_4″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/11d0350f1cd3805924561bec5fb34256\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_5_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/11d0350f1cd3805924561bec5fb34256\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_5_1.jpg”,”id”:”11d0350f1cd3805924561bec5fb34256″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”12 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake”,”c”:”People pray for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster at the J-Village complex in Fukushima-Prefecture, Japan, on March 11, 2023. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan on March 11, 2011. Photo by Keizo Mori\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,419],”lp”:1},”c”:”People pray for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster at the J-Village complex in Fukushima-Prefecture, Japan, on March 11, 2023. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan on March 11, 2011. Photo by Keizo Mori\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,419],”img_name”:”12-years-after-the-Great-East-Japan-Earthquake_5″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f8f56c843f99c1362a4df0c747b4dca4\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_6_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/f8f56c843f99c1362a4df0c747b4dca4\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_6_1.jpg”,”id”:”f8f56c843f99c1362a4df0c747b4dca4″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend \”The Hunger Games\” premiere in Los Angeles”,”c”:”Left to right, stars Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend the premiere of \”The Hunger Games\” in Los Angeles on March 12, 2012. \”The Hunger Games\” was a pop culture phenomenon. Photo by Jim Ruymen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[562,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”Left to right, stars Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend the premiere of \”The Hunger Games\” in Los Angeles on March 12, 2012. \”The Hunger Games\” was a pop culture phenomenon. Photo by Jim Ruymen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[562,431],”img_name”:”Josh-Hutcherson-Jennifer-Lawrence-and-Liam-Hemsworth-attend-The-Hunger-Games-premiere-in-Los-Angeles_6″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/6cebb9689c78ab95fe4ccec894f9ac46\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_7_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/6cebb9689c78ab95fe4ccec894f9ac46\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_7_1.jpg”,”id”:”6cebb9689c78ab95fe4ccec894f9ac46″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Thousands protest Iraq war in Los Angeles”,”c”:”Anti-war demonstrators march through the streets of Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 15, 2008. Thousands of people protested the war in Iraq during a demonstration to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Photo by Jim Ruymen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[599,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”Anti-war demonstrators march through the streets of Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 15, 2008. Thousands of people protested the war in Iraq during a demonstration to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Photo by Jim Ruymen\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[599,431],”img_name”:”Thousands-protest-Iraq-war-in-Los-Angeles_7″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/b4eac26b7e777948a3c789857f95c48b\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_8_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/b4eac26b7e777948a3c789857f95c48b\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_8_1.jpg”,”id”:”b4eac26b7e777948a3c789857f95c48b”,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”People Celebrate Purim In Jerusalem”,”c”:”People wear costumes at a street party celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim in Jerusalem, on March 16, 2025. The holiday, which normally falls in late February and March, commemorates the salvation of the ancient Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman in the Persian empire, as told in the Book of Esther. Purim will be celebrated in March through 2028. Photo by Debbie Hill\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[612,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”People wear costumes at a street party celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim in Jerusalem, on March 16, 2025. The holiday, which normally falls in late February and March, commemorates the salvation of the ancient Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman in the Persian empire, as told in the Book of Esther. Purim will be celebrated in March through 2028. Photo by Debbie Hill\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[612,431],”img_name”:”People-Celebrate-Purim-In-Jerusalem_8″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/48751a617fae0edc49bdce5ff21e48c8\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_9_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/48751a617fae0edc49bdce5ff21e48c8\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_9_1.jpg”,”id”:”48751a617fae0edc49bdce5ff21e48c8″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”St. Patrick’s Day Parade New York”,”c”:”Residence of County Kildare, Ireland, march on Fifth Avenue at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City on March 16, 2019. The New York City St. Patrick’s Parade is the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The first parade was held on March 17, 1762. Photo by Peter Foley\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,427],”lp”:1},”c”:”Residence of County Kildare, Ireland, march on Fifth Avenue at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City on March 16, 2019. The New York City St. Patrick’s Parade is the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. The first parade was held on March 17, 1762. Photo by Peter Foley\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[630,427],”img_name”:”St-Patricks-Day-Parade-New-York_9″},{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/ce3b0ab50e72beb118a02e2779d06ea8\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_10_1.jpg”,”o”:{“p”:”https:\/\/cdnph.upi.com\/collection\/ph\/upi\/16348\/ce3b0ab50e72beb118a02e2779d06ea8\/Historic-March-moments-through-the-years_10_1.jpg”,”id”:”ce3b0ab50e72beb118a02e2779d06ea8″,”src”:”upi”,”title”:””,”hl”:”Cherry blossoms bloom in Washington”,”c”:”Cherry blossoms are seen near the Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall in Washington on March 29, 2008. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival begins on March 20. In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, gave a gift of 3,000 cherry trees to strengthen the friendship of the United States and Japan. Photo by Alexis C. Glenn\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[626,431],”lp”:1},”c”:”Cherry blossoms are seen near the Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall in Washington on March 29, 2008. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival begins on March 20. In 1912, the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, gave a gift of 3,000 cherry trees to strengthen the friendship of the United States and Japan. Photo by Alexis C. Glenn\/UPI | License Photo”,”xy”:[626,431],”img_name”:”Cherry-blossoms-bloom-in-Washington_10″}]);}