Maersk Ships Diverted From Scheduled Routes Amid Rising Tensions in Middle East

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday November 29, 2023

Two box ships operated by AP Moller-Maersk have been diverted from their scheduled routes, the company has said.

The temporary route diversion has involved Lisa coming from India (diverted to Salalah) and Maersk Pangani coming from Cape Town and redirected to Mundra.

An advisory from the company cites "unforseen and unavoidable circumstances" as the reason for the change.

The equasis shipping database lists Lisa as controlled by XT Management based in Haifa.

Threats to shipping linked to Israeli interests have increased since the outbreak of hostilities between the Middle Eastern state and militant group Hamas.

Rising tension in the region has extended the threat to international shipping, according to maritime risk consultant Dryad Global.

"Beyond the immediate risks to Israeli-linked ships, there exists a residual risk, which includes indirect targeting and misidentification," Dryad said in its latest advisory. The report cites the 2021/2022 Tyndall incident targetting a ship with no active Israeli links.

"While Israeli-linked vessels face direct threats, the risk extends to a wider range of vessels due to the potential for misidentification and indirect targeting," Dryad added.

The latest attack in the region saw reports of missiles fired towards chemicals tanker Central Park.