The Palau-flagged vessels are expected to load nearly 20,000 tonnes of wheat

Attack is said to be part of a broader pattern of Moscow’s aggression against civilian vessels and facilities since withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal in July

Court documents state an Empire Navigation employee instructed Suez Rajan captain to take actions to conceal ship-to-ship transfer with tanker that loaded cargo in Iran. The guilty plea marks the first time US prosecutors both seize an Iranian cargo and successfully prosecuted the shipping company transporting it

Iran again shattered oil export records in August, reaching levels not seen since early 2019, when waivers for reimposed sanctions were still in place. The apparent lax sanctions enforcement by the US comes as Washington’s is finalising a prisoner exchange deal with Tehran, while the US may also be happy to let Iranian barrels bolster global supplies amid production cuts from Russia and Saudi Arabia

The offensive comes ahead of talks between Russian and Turkish leaders on the grain deal

The coup in Gabon has temporarily trapped at least four ships after military officials closed the country’s borders, but the fate of Gabon-flagged vessels operating internationally and lifting Russian oil remains unclear as the maritime administration’s status remains in limbo

The seaborne export of grain from Russia-occupied territories using deceptive shipping practices is becoming more complicated as the operation grows, analysis of open-source data and vessel tracking reveals

Suezmax believed to be carrying 800,000 barrels of confiscated Iranian oil appears to be transferring cargo to another Empire Navigation vessel, amid threats of Iranian retribution. EOS Risk Group lead intelligence analyst Martin Kelly warns that Iran will view this as an escalatory step and could target US or Greek ships

Suez Rajan has been anchored off Galveston, Texas, since late May laden with Iranian oil that US companies are reportedly afraid to touch. The bipartisan push to resolve the debacle around its seized cargo comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz

Containers are particularly at risk for use in the illicit goods trade. Maersk has become the latest carrier to find its vessels used for drug smuggling

The Russian Navy fired warning shots and subsequently boarded a Turkish-owned general cargoship that was sailing to Ukraine in the latest sign of tensions in the Black Sea

The Ukrainian Navy’s proposal is for three ports that were instrumental in the Black Sea grain deal, as the country seeks ways to maintain its exports to global markets amid rising tensions in the region