Iran-Israel-US war: Ships asked to bypass West Asia ports

New Delhi | Mumbai: The government has asked Indian-flagged vessels to stay anchored at sea and avoid calling at West Asian ports, officials said as the US-Israel attack on Iran and retaliatory strikes by Iran on US allies in the region entered the second day.

About 25 vessels in the Persian Gulf region are being monitored in coordination with the Indian Navy, they said.

Domestic ports are offering additional holding space to stranded cargo which cannot reach West Asian destinations due to the ongoing conflict. "We have told them to stay away from ports in the region, and not attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz," a senior government official told ET on condition of anonymity. In a notice to customers, DP World said it had suspended operations at the Jebel Ali port in Dubai "temporarily as a precautionary measure". MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company also said it was halting all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East region until further notice.


Maersk said in a statement that all sailings on the Middle East-India to Mediterranean, and Middle East-India to East Coast US services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope. Container shipping company CMA CGM, in an advisory said, vessels inside the Gulf, and headed for the Gulf, had been instructed with immediate effect to proceed to shelter. It further said, "Passage through the Suez Canal has been suspended until further notice, and vessels will be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope." The Iranian Navy declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disallowing passage of ships from one of the busiest waterways in the world.