Mucahithan Avcioglu
04 March 2026•Update: 05 March 2026
ISTANBUL
China’s state-owned shipping giant Cosco Shipping Lines, one of the world’s largest oil tanker operators, said it will suspend cargo services to and from several Gulf countries starting Wednesday, citing escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The Shanghai-based company announced it will halt all new bookings for routes passing through the Strait of Hormuz with immediate effect until further notice, as security risks intensify in the critical energy shipping corridor.
The move comes as multiple global shipping companies pause vessel operations in the strait, which handles a significant share of the world’s oil and gas shipments.
Iran said on Monday that vessel passages through the Strait of Hormuz would no longer be allowed and that ships attempting to transit would be targeted.
In a statement, Cosco said the decision was driven by the growing conflict in the Middle East and resulting restrictions on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the suspension, the company will stop accepting new global bookings destined for Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and certain ports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, as well as shipments originating from Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and parts of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
However, some regional ports will remain accessible without transiting the strait. Cosco said services to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and the UAE ports of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah are not affected by the suspension.
The company added it is continuing to closely monitor developments in the Middle East and will adjust operations depending on the evolving security situation.
Cosco's suspension of its services came as the US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Saturday, killing over 800 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Gulf countries which are home to US assets.
