risky waters

Shipping giants freeze container traffic amid rising Gulf threats

More than 3,000 ships have been stuck in Gulf ports or waiting outside the Strait of Hormuz as international insurers withdraw war-risk coverage

Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images

Commercial ships anchor off the coast of the UAE

Container shipping giants Hapag-Lloyd and A.P. Moller-Maersk have halted bookings and begun diverting vessels away from the Middle East amid escalating security risks in the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global trade routes.

The moves by the two European...