Shipping crisis deepens: Maersk pauses key services, cargo bookings across West Asia

Danish shipping giant Maersk on March 6 temporarily suspended two major container services linking the West Asia with other regions of Asia and Europe as the ongoing Iran war continues to disrupt global trade routes and supply chains. 

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The company said the suspension of its FM1 service, connecting the Far East to the Middle East, and the ME11 service, which links the Middle East to Europe, was a precautionary step to ensure the safety of vessels and crew amid rising regional tensions. 

In a statement, Maersk said it is “closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East” and taking proactive steps to safeguard personnel, cargo integrity and the stability of its global logistics network. 

The shipping group also announced sweeping restrictions on cargo bookings across several Gulf countries. Bookings for refrigerated cargo (reefer), dangerous goods (DG), out-of-gauge cargo and several dry cargo shipments have been suspended to and from countries including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. 

Dry cargo bookings

Dry cargo bookings have specifically been halted for shipments to and from the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi ports including Dammam and Al Jubail, as well as Oman’s Sohar port. However, Maersk said it would continue accepting shipments to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and King Abdullah ports, along with Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Oman’s Salalah port. 

The company said critical shipments such as food, medicines and other perishable goods would receive special attention despite the restrictions. 

Air cargo operations

Maersk also warned of disruptions in air cargo operations after several countries in the region — including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran — temporarily suspended their airspace. Airlines have cancelled or rerouted flights through the region, reducing cargo capacity and potentially causing delays and longer transit times. 

Ground logistics services such as trucking, rail and warehousing remain operational across the region, though the company warned that border congestion, customs delays and stricter security checks could disrupt transit schedules and increase costs. 

Cargo in transit

For cargo already in transit, Maersk said it has begun rerouting some shipments to temporary storage hubs within or near the region to prevent congestion at key ports such as Salalah while monitoring the evolving security situation. 

The disruption comes as container shipping companies continue to avoid the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28. Several vessels have been rerouted around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the conflict zone. 

The strategic waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, typically carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies. 

According to freight analytics firm Xeneta, the crisis has forced 147 container ships to shelter inside the Persian Gulf, triggering delays, port congestion and rising freight rates that are beginning to ripple through global markets.