Leading container carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. on Monday said it was suspending all cargo bookings to the Middle East.
The move by the world’s largest liner operator marks a significant commercial reaction to the military situation that has escalated since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday.
“As a precautionary measure, MSC has suspended all bookings for worldwide cargo to the Middle East region until further notice,” the Geneva-based liner said in an advisory, citing crew safety. “The company continues to closely monitor developments and is working with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of its operations. Middle East bookings will resume as soon as the security situation improves.”
It is unknown if the move covers the Shikra or IPAK Far East strings, which focus on Indian ports. The suspension represents an estimated 73,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) of weekly capacity across nine services in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
Noting the dozens of ships trapped in the Persian Gulf, Xeneta Senior Analyst Destine Ozuygur in a social media post said seven are MSC vessels, intra-regional feeders in the post-Panamax 6,000-TEU range.
The privately-held carrier expanded its Mideast–linked services in 2025, including a new North India–Middle East loops and South America–Middle East connections covering more than 20 direct calls. MSC serves 25-30 ports in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean rim.
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