China's Cosco Halts Gulf Cargo Bookings Amid Regional Tensions

(MENAFN) China’s state-owned shipping behemoth Cosco Shipping Lines, among the globe’s foremost oil tanker operators, announced Wednesday it is suspending cargo services to and from multiple Gulf nations, citing the rapidly deteriorating security environment across the Middle East.

The Shanghai-based carrier said it would immediately cease accepting new bookings for all routes transiting the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, as security risks along the vital energy corridor continue to intensify.

The suspension bars new global bookings bound for Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and select ports across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while also blocking outbound shipments originating from Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and parts of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Not all regional ports are affected, however. Cosco confirmed that services to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and the UAE ports of Khor Fakkan and Fujairah — accessible without passing through the strait — remain fully operational.

Cosco’s move joins a growing wave of global shipping operators halting strait operations after Iran declared on Monday that vessel passages through the Strait of Hormuz would no longer be permitted, warning that ships attempting transit would be targeted.

The crisis was ignited Saturday when the US and Israel launched a large-scale assault on Iran, leaving over 800 people dead — among them Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran has since retaliated with drone and missile strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting US military assets.

Cosco said it will continue closely monitoring regional developments and stands ready to adjust its operations in line with the evolving security situation.

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