Middle East Situation Overview 2

Situation overview

The situation in the Middle East is continuing to change frequently, with military action across the region currently not showing definitive signs of slowing down. As such, Maersk’s visibility on how the conflict may evolve is low, but our teams are constantly monitoring developments and taking the necessary steps to protect the safety of our people, assets, and customer cargo.

New developments

On 25 March 2026, Iran said it would allow ‘non-hostile vessels’ to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Passage criteria are unclear, and commercial navigation in the strait is still greatly restricted. Since this announcement, we’ve seen reports of a few container vessels passing through, while several vessels have been denied passage.

Maersk’s position continues to be that we aim to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, but we will only return to the area when our security teams deem it 100% safe to do so.

In the early hours of Saturday 28 March 2026, the Port of Salalah, Oman, was subject to a drone attack that caused damage to a terminal crane and left a port worker with moderate injuries. Operations were suspended as a result but resumed on 31 March 2026. Additional precautionary security measures have been implemented at the port by the Omani authorities.

We will continue to communicate any new information with customers as soon as possible via our dedicated Middle East Situation page.

Customer solutions

In order to keep cargo moving amid the Middle East disruption, Maersk is actively deploying alternative solutions for customers through combinations of land, air and sea to reach final destinations. Our Sea-Air/Air-Sea solutions leverage a network of gateways and hubs in and around the region as alternative touchpoints, while our landbridge solutions ensure the continued movement of cargo across various routing options through our inland assets.

A key option available now is our expanded Sea‑Air network. For example, shipments from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia can move on the ocean to Salalah, before inland routing to Muscat, and then connecting to our air freight network into Europe and North America.

We have also strengthened our Air‑Sea network into the Indian subcontinent. Cargo from Europe and North America, for example, can fly into Dubai, then move overland to Salalah before connecting to ocean services into India.

To complement these air‑sea flows, our regional landbridge solutions continue to operate across Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE, securing overland connectivity for both dry and reefer cargo

To discuss the full range of options for your cargo, we encourage customers to reach out to their local Customer Experience representative

Outlook

Looking ahead, the operating environment in the Middle East is expected to remain highly volatile. We will continue to monitor developments closely and will keep you informed as conditions evolve.

Important links

For the latest information, please continue to visit the Maersk Operational Updates page online, our contingency plans for ocean vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and the latest updates on port operations in the area.

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our teams are on hand to support with your planning, should you need assistance.