ports

Overland Gulf routes emerge as safest bet amid Hormuz transit uncertainty

Supply chain managers are increasingly turning to overland routes across the Gulf as uncertainty clouds the Strait of Hormuz. Fresh disputes over transit authority have intensified following the Ever Lovely being struck by a projectile while transiting the Southern Corridor. This contradicted the IMO's safety plan that had successfully moved 115 vessels from the waterway. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the agency would not resume operations until all conflict parties guaranteed no further attacks on shipping. Confusion stems from a US-Iran MOU on suspending hostilities, with Tehran claiming the agreement grants it sole authority over which vessels transit and which routes they use. Dominguez indicated broader discussions on the bilateral accord could clarify shipping protocols and restore stakeholder confidence in Hormuz transits.