The world's largest shipping company, the Italian-Swiss company MSC, has ordered all its vessels in the Gulf to seek safety on Sunday, while suspending shipments bound for the Middle East.
"As a precautionary measure, MSC has instructed all vessels currently operating in the Gulf region, and those heading to that area, to proceed to safe haven areas until further notice," the company announced in a statement quoted by AFP.
Meanwhile, one of the world's largest logistics companies, the Danish Maersk, also announced on Sunday that it is suspending the transit of its vessels and goods through the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice."
"The safety of our teams, vessels, and customers' goods is our number one priority. We are suspending all vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice," the shipping company stated in a release quoted by the AFP. "As a result, services to ports in the Arabian Gulf may experience delays, itinerary changes, or schedule adjustments," the company added.
The company made this decision the day after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said that the Strait of Hormuz was "effectively" closed and that passage was dangerous due to American and Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Iran has been firing missiles and drones at the Gulf monarchies and Israel since Saturday in retaliation for attacks on the country the previous Saturday.
And this same Sunday, two ships have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO. One ship was hit off the coast of Oman, while another was struck off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, confirmed the private maritime security company Vanguard Tech.
Maersk has also announced the temporary suspension of container transit through the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. "Until further notice, all transits of the ME11 route (Middle East-India to the Mediterranean) and MECL (Middle East-India to the East Coast of the United States) will be rerouted to pass by the Cape of Good Hope," in South Africa, it clarified. "We remain committed to minimizing the impact on our customers' supply chains, and we will continue to keep them informed of the situation's development."