Ferry Operator Cites EU ETS and Taxes in Plan to Sell Vessels, Stop Routes

Iran Exploits Containership Grounding to Assert Hormuz Control

Published Jul 1, 2026 10:21 AM by The Maritime Executive

Iranian state media released a video and is reporting that a containership went aground because it was operating outside its designated shipping lane in the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC, however, appears to be exploiting an incident involving a shadowy vessel that was operating on an Iranian coastal route. The state media report only identified the vessel as “foreign” and said it had gone aground on July 1. It asserted the ship was “bypassing” the Strait of Hormuz outside the...

Rocket Lab to Buy Iridium for $8 Billion

Published Jun 30, 2026 11:00 PM by The Maritime Executive

Iridium, the high-uptime LEO satcom operator, will soon be acquired by launch services company Rocket Lab, the two firms announced Monday. The $8 billion deal will create a vertically integrated rocket-plus-satcom company, comparable in structure to the core businesses of SpaceX/Starlink. Rocket Lab plans to pay each Iridium shareholder $27 per share in cash, plus new shares of Rocket Lab to bring the total near to about $54 per share. The deal should close in mid-2027, once shareholder approvals are...

USS Boxer and USS Portland in Indian Ocean

Report: White House Still Looking at Alternatives to Iran Peace Deal

Published Jun 30, 2026 10:52 PM by The Maritime Executive

Amidst fitful talks with Iran on formalizing an MOU on the end of the multimonth conflict, the Trump administration is still considering options other than a negotiated solution, according to the Wall Street Journal. The president is said to be contemplating whether to return to war with Iran with greater intensity with a new round of strikes. For now, he favors diplomacy, and is willing to extend the ceasefire out past the current August 18 endpoint if needed. The pause...

File image: Jones Act tanker Lone Star State (Press handout courtesy NASSCO)

Study: Jones Act Waivers Had No Effect on Military Operations

Published Jun 30, 2026 8:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Trump administration's controversial 150-day waiver of the Jones Act had no impact on military operations and could have been served by existing American vessels, according to a new study from the consultancy Navigistics. 78 foreign-flag voyages between U.S. ports occurred between the start of the program and June 1, the latest available date of MARAD reporting. According to Navigistics, none of these voyages carried products compatible with U.S. military requirements, suggesting that only commercial products were moved. While the...

Shipping

Pirates Board and Damage Vessel and Then Pursue Second Ship in Gulf of Aden

A pirate action group was active in the Gulf of Aden on July 1, as the level of activity continues at an increased level in the area. UK Maritime Trade Operations and MSCIO are reporting the pirates were able to board one vessel but abandoned it when the crew locked into the citadel, but a short time later, the same group was pursuing a second vessel. The first incident took place in a position approximately 76 nautical miles south of...

Tugs & Salvage

OSHA Fines Terminal Operator $82,000 for Million-Gallon Acid Spill

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a combined $3.5 million in fines to the companies responsible for a sulfuric acid spill on the Houston Ship Channel last year. The spill occurred at the BWC Jacinto site in Channelview, one of 22 facilities that privately-held BWC Terminals operates around the U.S. The agency alleged that an unsafe chemical mixture caused the spill, some of which entered the shipping channel. "OSHA found that despite safety warnings, BWC Terminals mixed fresh and...

Government

U.S. Treasury Takes Aim at Mexico's Fuel Smuggling Cartel

The U.S. Treasury is taking aim at the fuel-smuggling side business of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), the violent drug-trafficking syndicate that dominates criminal activity along the central Pacific coast of Mexico and much of the interior. Its home state of Jalisco is one of the most dangerous areas in the country, and it is classified as a terrorist organization in the United States. According to Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CJNG operates a cross-border petroleum...

Corporate News

Riviera Travel Welcomes Newest Five-Star River Cruise Ship

[By Riviera] Riviera Travel, a leader in ultra-premium river cruising, ocean yachts, and global land travel for more than 40 years, today unveiled a first look at its newest five-star river cruise ship, Riviera Resplendence. On Saturday, July 4, the ship will depart from Cologne on its maiden voyage, embarking on its inaugural Rhine Cruise to Switzerland itinerary welcoming guests onboard for the first time. "Riviera Resplendence represents another significant milestone for Riviera Travel as we continue to grow our...

Cruise Ships

Four Seasons Plans Changes for Its Second Yacht Cruise Ship

Four Seasons Yachts entered service in March, and as the company moves forward with its expansion, it has announced changes that will be incorporated into its second yacht. The launch of the ultra-luxury hotel brands, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Orient Express, and soon Aman, is being closely followed by the industry as it holds the potential to reshape the ultra-luxury segment of cruising. Four Seasons I (35,000 gross tons) entered service on March 20 in the Mediterranean with the company promising...

Ports

Hugh K. Leatherman Port Terminal Charleston South Carolina

Charleston Pauses Operations at New Terminal Citing Low Volume, High Costs

South Carolina Ports, in a surprise announcement, reported it will suspend operations at its new terminal in Charleston, citing low volumes and high costs for the terminal. Celebrated in 2021 as the first new, large terminal opened in the United States in more than a decade, it is the latest blow to the operation, which has struggled to gain a footing. The state authority reports it will be winding down the operations over the next few weeks, with the temporary...

Shipping

Pirates Board and Damage Vessel and Then Pursue Second Ship in Gulf of Aden

Tugs & Salvage

OSHA Fines Terminal Operator $82,000 for Million-Gallon Acid Spill

Government

U.S. Treasury Takes Aim at Mexico's Fuel Smuggling Cartel

Corporate News

Riviera Travel Welcomes Newest Five-Star River Cruise Ship

Cruise Ships

Four Seasons Plans Changes for Its Second Yacht Cruise Ship

Ports

Charleston Pauses Operations at New Terminal Citing Low Volume, High Costs

Offshore

China floating wind platform and 16 MW turbine

China Deploys First 16MW Floating Offshore Wind Tension-Leg Platform

China continues its developments, placing it at the forefront of the offshore wind energy sector. In the latest development, officials reported deploying the largest tension-leg floating offshore wind platform designed to hold a 16 MW turbine. The platform was assembled at the Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, south China, and departed on June 28 for its deployment in the South China Sea. The structure stands more than 307 meters (1,007 feet) and weighs almost 8,000 tonnes. It is the largest of...

Shipbuilding

Gunsan Shipyard to Restart Shipbuilding After Nine Years

Plans to fully relaunch the long-dormant Gunsan Shipyard in South Korea got a boost as the company signed a letter of intent to build its first ships in nine years. The contract was announced concurrently with the closing of the acquisition of the yard by an investment group from HD Hyundai. The yard had fallen victim to a downturn in the shipbuilding industry nearly a decade ago and never achieved its full potential as an expansion for Hyundai’s shipbuilding operations....

Environment

hydrogen-powered short-sea dry bulk carrier concept

Norway Accelerates Hydrogen-Power Bulker Project for Shortsea Shipping

Norway’s LH2 Shipping reports it is accelerating the development of hydrogen-powered shortsea shipping bulkers for the Baltic with an additional grant from the Norwegian government program to accelerate the green energy transition. The company will add a fifth and sixth bulker to its plan, saying that increased support reflects the growing momentum for liquid hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel for shortsea shipping. The company was awarded an additional grant of approximately $35.82 million from Enova, which it says will...

Business