‘Turbulent and dangerous’: How shipping is the new global battleground
Geopolitical tensions are increasingly disrupting global shipping routes, with flashpoints in the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal, and other critical waterways threatening the once-stable rules-based maritime order. Incidents involving Iran, the US, China, and regional powers have led to ship seizures, blockades, and attacks, raising costs and uncertainty for international trade. Experts warn that the militarization and politicization of shipping lanes are making the world’s oceans more dangerous than they have been in decades.
- ▪The Strait of Hormuz has seen escalating confrontations between Iran and the US, including ship seizures and attacks on vessels.
- ▪China is accused by the US and allied nations of detaining Panama-flagged ships, signaling growing tension over the Panama Canal.
- ▪Over 80% of global trade is transported by sea, making disruptions to shipping lanes a major threat to the world economy.
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News|US-Israel war on Iran‘Turbulent and dangerous’: How shipping is the new global battlegroundFrom the Strait of Hormuz to Panama, the South China Sea to the Black Sea, geopolitics is rewriting the rules of global shipping.ListenListen (7 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA ship waits to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following the two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, which is conditional on the opening of the strait, in Oman [File: Shadi JH Alassar/Anadolu]By Virginia PietromarchiPublished On 1 May 20261 May 2026When Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa floated the idea last week of charging a toll for vessels passing through the Strait of Malacca – inspired by Iran’s…
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