Shipping firm Maersk suspends vessel crossings in Strait of Hormuz

ISTANBUL

Danish shipping company Maersk on Sunday announced that it is suspending vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz after reports that it had been closed following US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

"The safety of our crews, vessels and customers’ cargo remains our key priority. We are suspending all vessel crossings in the Strait of Hormuz until further notice," Maersk announced in a statement.

It also announced that all sailings on Middle East-India to Mediterranean and Middle East-India to East Coast US on services will be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope until further notice due to the "deteriorating security situation" in the region.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) also announced suspending "all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East region until further notice."

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, with Tehran staging retaliatory missile and drone strikes.

On Saturday, Iranian media reported that the Strait of Hormuz had been "effectively" closed following US and Israeli attacks on the country.

Iran on Sunday confirmed the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top officials in Israeli and US attacks on the country.

Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of possessing nuclear and missile programs that threaten Israel, the only country in the region with a nuclear arsenal, and allies of the US. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is not seeking to produce nuclear weapons.