We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
Written by Ian Taylor
Following discussions over the possible impact of last week’s US airstrike on Baghdad airport which killed the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the Joint War Committee (JWC) underwriters group has judged that while there are increased tensions in the Gulf region there has – for now at least – been ‘no dramatic change’ to the level of maritime security risk.
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Source: bunkerspot.com
Multiple maritime threats have been reported in the vicinity of the geographic areas described above. On January 2, 2020, the U.S. military took decisive defensive action to protect U.S. personnel abroad. The Iranian response to this action, if any, is unknown, but there remains the possibility of Iranian action against U.S. maritime interests in the region.
The U.S. government is continually assessing the maritime security situation in the region to safeguard freedom of navigation, ensure the free flow of commerce, and protect U.S. vessels, personnel, and interests. U.S. Fifth Fleet Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) has the latest information on the dynamic maritime security threats and operational environment in this region. U.S. commercial vessels are advised to exercise caution and coordinate vessel voyage planning for transits of the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea with NCAGS and follow NCAGS’s recommendations and guidance whenever possible.
U.S. commercial vessels operating in this area should review U.S. Maritime Advisory 2019-012, which contains contact information for U.S. Fifth Fleet NCAGS. This Alert will automatically expire on January 13, 2020. For more information about U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories, including subscription details, please visit http://www.marad.dot.gov/MSCI.
Source: maritime.dot.gov
The Royal Navy has deployed ships to escort British fleets through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions continue to boil over in the Middle East following the US drone strike that killed Iran’s leading general.
The move to protect ships baring UK flags on the stretch of water between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman came as the Foreign Office issued warnings to citizens not to travel to affected regions.
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Source: inews.co.uk
Piracy in some of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints is on the rise–but now, pirates are resorting back to another method of income generation better suited to times of lower oil prices: taking human captives.
Sometimes, black market oil prices just aren’t lucrative enough. In the days of $100 oil, oil theft was a hot commodity. Today, pirates are supplementing their stolen oil income with ransomed sailors, creating a whole new set of problems for the oil industry to tackle.
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Source: oilprice.com
Fatehelrahman Yousif
Foreign ministers of Red Sea coastal states are set to kick off meetings in Riyadh next week to promote cooperation and economic integration and to ensure maritime security along this international waterway.
The meeting is expected to tackle issues on the responsibility of Red Sea states to prevent the intervention of any foreign country in the affairs of this sensitive area.
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Source: aawsat.com
Merchant shipping heading through Middle Eastern waters has been placed back on high alert over fears Iran may retaliate to American drone strikes earlier today that killed a top Iranian general.
Iran’s most powerful military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, was killed by a US air strike in Iraq at around 1am this morning.
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Source: splash247.com
PETALING JAYA: A ship with 16 Malaysian crew members on board has been seized by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps for fuel smuggling, according to the official Irna news agency.
The ship was reported to be carrying nearly 1.3 million litres of fuel. It was not known under which national flag the ship was sailing. It was reportedly seized near Abu Musa Island, near the entrance to the Straits of Hormuz.
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Source: freemalaysiatoday.com
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – After conclusion of a joint naval war game of Iran, Russia and China, a ranking Iranian military commander said the Islamic Republic will continue to stage joint military exercises with other countries in the coming years.
Commander of the Naval Operations Department of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces General Mohammad Ebrahim Dehqani said on Sunday that joint military drills will definitely continue in the coming years.
According to the commander, the joint exercises in future will include other regional countries as well.
He also stressed that the naval exercise of Iran, Russia and China has given the enemies a clear message that any mistake would draw a crushing response from the Iranian Armed Forces.
“Our friends receive an assurance that the region’s maritime security would be ensured by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its allies, and there is no need for alien forces in the region, particularly the Americans,” he said.
Denouncing the presence of American forces as a main factor behind regional insecurity, Dehqani said the US decision to transfer its military forces from the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to the northern parts of the Indian Ocean reveals that “Americans are even incapable of ensuring their own security.”
Iranian, Russian, and Chinese naval units on Sunday wrapped up the joint exercise after three days.
On the final day of the joint drill, the naval forces of the three countries exercised tactics to fight piracy and extinguish vessel fires in the international waters south of Iran.
The war game came amid US efforts to woo countries into a maritime coalition for patrols in the Persian Gulf, which have received lukewarm welcome from its allies.
Source: tasnimnews.com
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – There is no place for American forces in the region anymore, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said.
“Today, the era of American free action in the region is over, and they (US forces) must leave the region gradually,” Rear Admiral Khanzadi told reporters on Sunday on the sidelines of a joint naval exercise of Iran, Russia and China, which is underway in the Sea of Oman and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean.
“We believe that regional security does not require the presence of those (foreign) countries, and that regional countries themselves can ensure security together,” he added.
The Iranian Navy commander also expressed hope that more regional states would join Iran in the efforts to ensure security.
“We believe that maritime security definitely needs collective action,” Khanzadi added.
He went on to say that friends of Iran and those favoring regional security have welcomed the joint naval drill, while the US and its proxies who seek to impose inappropriate security arrangements on the region would receive “significant messages” from the war game.
Iran, Russia and China are holding a four-day joint naval exercise, dubbed Marine Security Belt, in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.
The war game comes amid US efforts to woo countries into a maritime coalition for patrols in the Persian Gulf, which have received lukewarm welcome from its allies.
Source: tasnimnews.com
TOKYO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) — The Japanese Cabinet on Friday approved the dispatch of Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) personnel to the Middle East amid tensions in the region, despite public opposition and post-war military constraints restricting the nation’s military activities constitutionally.
The planned deployment, backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition ally, Komeito, is to purportedly conduct information-gathering operations and others related to enhancing the safety of commercial shipping in the region.
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Source: xinhuanet.com
Maritime Security News 