On Tuesday April 28, 2015, a Maersk containership was seized along the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East by Iranian Forces, while sailing from Jeggah in Saudi Arabia to Jebel Ali in the UAE, according to gCaptain.
Warning shots were fired at the MV Maersk Tigris, managed by Rickmers Shipmanagement, after the captain declined to move deeper into Iranian waters.
In a previous article published by PTI, container shipping was said to be at threat after an anti-terrorism think tank seized a document sent by terrorist group Islamic State, outlining its intention to cause chaos to commercial shipping.
Michael Storgaard, a spokesman for Maersk Line, said: “Our paramount concern is the safety and well-being of the crew. We are working in close dialogue with Rickmers Shipmanagement to obtain information about the seizure and explore options to help resolve this situation. We are also in dialogue with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We are in on-going contact with Rickmers Shipmanagement and are pleased to learn that the crew is safe and under the circumstances in good spirits.
“We are continuing our efforts to obtain more information about the Iranian authorities’ seizure – in international waters – of Maersk Tigris. We are not able at this point to establish or confirm the reason behind the seizure.”
Containerships can fall victim to other serious threats such as piracy, with just under 2,000 piracy taking place between 2009-2014.
Ports can also be at threat of attack, evidenced after a recent incident involving a rocket that was fired by Islamic Militants at Libya’s largest oil port.
