Westfal-Larsen Management AS

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat. The vessel, it said, was subsequently fired upon.

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.

Japan’s NYK Group has launched a lubricating oil analysis service to monitor the condition of ammonia-fueled engines, as it seeks to support the adoption of alternative fuels in shipping.The service, developed by group company Nippon Yuka Kogyo, is designed to detect early signs of abnormalities in engines using ammonia as fuel.Ammonia is seen as a next-generation maritime fuel due to its low greenhouse gas emissions during combustion, though it requires new approaches to monitoring engine performance.The service uses lubricating oil analysis to assess internal engine conditions, enabling early detection of potential issues and supporting operational reliability.

Offshore services provider Bourbon has expanded its fleet with 13 vessels valued at more than $180 million since the start of 2026, as it seeks to strengthen its position in offshore markets, the company said.Ten of the vessels are already under contract, reflecting demand for offshore support vessels (OSVs), Bourbon said.The expansion includes the acquisition of six diesel-electric vessels from the Minsheng Group, comprising five platform supply vessels (PSV) and one 80-ton bollard pull anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS), as well as two large-capacity PSVs acquired from ICBC.