Benny Rasmussen

Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.Amid ceasefire talks, Tehran, which controls the chokepoint, has proposed tolls on vessels to safely transit.

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S. had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.The U.S. has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.The U.S.

Fincantieri and Princess Cruises signed an agreement for the construction of three new LNG-powered cruise ships. The vessel, part of a new “Voyager” class, will be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard, with deliveries scheduled for 2035, 2038 and 2039. While financial details were not disclosed, the contract has been described as significant and remains subject to financing and standard conditions.Each ship will be approximately 183,000 gross tons and carry around 4,700 passengers, placing them among the larger vessels in the Princess fleet.

Oil prices climbed about 3% on Tuesday after Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend peace talks with the United States, with one day left before the ceasefire runs out in the Iran war.U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped to reach a deal to end the war, but he did not want to extend the ceasefire, and said the U.S. military was "raring to go" if negotiations were not successful.Brent futures rose $3, or 3.1%, to settle at $98.48 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.52, or 2.8%, to settle at $92.13.Crude futures pared earlier gains of around 5% after reports U.S. Vice President JD Vance, due to lead the U.S.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to integrate the Patriot missile, an Army missile interceptor, into the U.S. Navy's Aegis combat system, a milestone the company said on Tuesday marks the first time the weapon will be fielded at sea.Reuters was first to report in October 2024 that the Navy was moving forward with plans to arm its vessels with Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors, driven by fears that China would deploy hypersonic weapons to sink ships in the Pacific.The deployment will strengthen the missile defense shield protecting the Navy's fleet of destroyers.