EU approaching “peak sanctions” as France, Germany, Greece & others demand measures against Russia be cut to protect their companies “Around the table, the moral imperative is functioning less and less” said one diplomat w @alicemhancock.bsky.social & @chriscook.news as.ft.com/r/b8082481-c...

⛴️ Athens blocks EU sanctions against Moscow to protect Greek billionaire shipping tycoon that built fleet to serve Putin’s Arctic gas projects w @alicemhancock.bsky.social & @chriscook.news as.ft.com/r/793a4480-5...

Ukraine said it has hit more than 110 Russian vessels in nine days in the Sea of Azov, making it one of the most concentrated series of attacks on shipping ever to take place. www.ft.com/content/6d5e... w/ @alicemhancock.bsky.social

NEW: Dubai plans new port to bypass Strait of Hormuz in the latest sign of this crisis having much longer term impacts for trade and shipping: www.ft.com/content/1f97... Story with Middle East colleagues @financialtimes.com

Lovely visual piece about transformers from the @financialtimes.com visual team... A century-old device that is holding up progress on AI: ig.ft.com/transformers/

FT Exclusive: Of the top 20 companies that have earned the most from Russian shipments since June 2023, eight are Greek, led by Dynacom Tankers, which was founded by shipping billionaire George Prokopiou. ft.trib.al/CwxPNRR

There's a lot more interest building around nuclear-powered ships as shipowners lose faith in green fuels coming to fruition. Other ideas are Co2 capture on ships - and trad fossil fuels... I took a deep dive in here: www.ft.com/content/2eb3...

CMA CGM nears $1.4bn deal for FedEx logistics unit www.ft.com/content/f4a8... @financialtimes.com

Notable moment: Oil prices are back at prewar levels as Gulf flows pick up through Hormuz from @financialtimes.com energy desk colleagues www.ft.com/content/7a05...

Qatar says US-Iran hotline essential to reopen Strait of Hormuz ft.trib.al/QWTAmGq

NEW: Iran has said it could seek "insurance fees" for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as it looks for ways to monetise its leverage over the waterway. www.ft.com/content/e106...

As the Strait of Hormuz opens up, will the 100+ day crisis result in any changes for seafarers who spend months at sea on low pay and in cramped conditions? www.ft.com/content/73a2...

Ships have had to sail as far as Japan to Korea or east India to Singapore to find increasingly scarce supplies of fuel: www.ft.com/content/1a54...

Strait of Hormuz flow will take ‘weeks’ to resume, largest tanker operator warns ft.trib.al/NtFIJ3g

Shipowners warn that the situation in the Gulf is still "volatile" and that clearing the backlog of ships wanting to get out could take weeks in spite of any peace deal. It appears (from Iranian reports) that after 60 days they will also start trying to charge tolls www.ft.com/content/c2d4...

Around 15 ships per day are going in and out of the Strait of Hormuz under cover of darkness and with their GPS signals off, raising the very real possibility of a crash: www.ft.com/content/3145...

Can the Middle East crisis save Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos empire? ft.trib.al/4QfNKho

Greek shipping tycoon Evangelos Marinakis said he would be ready to pay fees to transit the Strait of Hormuz if that would keep the waterway open to shipping. ft.trib.al/gNQD4q2

Yesterday Greek shipping tycoon George Prokopiou came as close as he’s come publicly to admitting that he has sent ships through the Strait of Hormuz and now he’s readying more… as.ft.com/r/37082f61-d...

It is important that the @financialtimes.com, and @alicemhancock.bsky.social continue to shine a light on the loopholes that allow Russian LNG exports to benefit from Western services. www.ft.com/content/945c...

Denmark’s Fayard is the only remaining shipyard in Europe to service ice-class LNG tankers that export from Russia’s Yamal LNG. It’s not a sanctioned activity but has provided a critical lifeline for Russian gas to reach the EU. as.ft.com/r/37f4ddb1-d...

How Europe learned to stop worrying and love… state aid @bmoens.bsky.social & @alicemhancock.bsky.social on the dangerous weapon with the power to break the EU single market as.ft.com/r/c3275d69-c...

Shipping companies are turning to trucks to move cargo across the Gulf as disruption in the Strait of Hormuz sends freight rates soaring and leaves goods stranded across global ports. Tap the link here to read more: ft.trib.al/QLBa69f

Trump’s Hormuz ship insurance facility has done $0 business — partly because it was designed for naval escorts that have not materialised Story with @leeharris.ft.com as.ft.com/r/ad660c84-6...

In April, Crispin Odey dropped his £79mn #libel claim against us. This is the inside story of how Odey’s battle to reclaim his reputation backfired. It's about the brave women who spoke out against him — and the new allegations the two-year legal saga unearthed. www.ft.com/content/edbe...

The Gulf conflict is pushing European chemicals manufacturers closer to breaking point with some warning that closures will cause a domino effect across the region. More here with my colleague Jamie John www.ft.com/content/ca09...

NEW: the ship seized this morning and taken into Iranian territorial waters was a Honduras-flagged fishing vessel operating as a floating armoury, according to people close to the siutation www.ft.com/content/794e...

Europe’s oil majors reap up to $4.75bn from trading on Iran war volatility ft.trib.al/VqeXiKz

After years of protests and support from a unique system of subsidies, are Europe’s farmers still getting their way or not? @andybounds.bsky.social Susannah Savage and I took a look at the EU’s “soft underbelly” as.ft.com/r/c1bf49d2-3...

Even though ships had already been re-routing via the Cape of Good Hope, the Gulf crisis has pushed those numbers up to record levels, increasing the journey time between Europe and Asia by around 10 days. www.ft.com/content/017d...

Shipbuilding is feeling the pinch from a war-driven paint and lubricant shortage coming at a time of historical backlogs From @financialtimes.com Asia colleagues: www.ft.com/content/f6db...

Also, ICYMI a bit more on the secretive Aponte family who grew MSC from one second hand ship in 1970 to the biggest container shipping line in the world: www.ft.com/content/359d...

Talks at the IMO about a carbon tax on shipping continue this week after the US tried to sink the idea last October. But delegates say that there is a risk it could end up in a "real fight" again: www.ft.com/content/23cc... w/ @attractamooney.bsky.social

“Earlier this month, more than 65 empty supertankers were heading to the US to load crude…more the war began on February 28 and well above last year’s daily average of 28” So many eyeopening stats in this from @financialtimes.com colleagues ig.ft.com/global-energ...

Iranian tankers are bypassing the US blockade. More than 30 have been counted going both ways. At least 6 have been confirmed carrying Iranian crude cargoes amount to 10.7mn barrels w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/df7595da-3...

It was a whiplash weekend in the Gulf culminating in this: www.ft.com/content/0e51... Interestingly though, among the escapees were around six cruise ships hugging the Omani coast

Is there any precedent for charging for use of an international waterway even if they are territorial waters like the Strait of Hormuz? John-Paul Rathbone and I had a look at the history books (the answer: not quite) as.ft.com/r/497666f2-c...

Just four ships crossed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, down from 11 the day before, despite the ceasefire announcement. “It is a waiting situation," say shipping execs More here w/ @financialtimes.com colleagues ⬇️ www.ft.com/content/0ce6...

Iran has said that it will charge a $1 per barrel tax for oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire. Payments to be made in crypto "ensuring they can’t be traced or confiscated due to sanctions" www.ft.com/content/02ae... w/ @financialtimes.com colleagues

Breaking news: The UK will host talks this week aimed at forming a coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as countries respond to Donald Trump’s threat to wind down the Iran conflict without securing the vital waterway ft.trib.al/TwuNXLp

Donald Trump has told the FT he wants to “take the oil in Iran” and could seize the export hub of Kharg Island, as the US sends thousands of troops to the Middle East. www.ft.com/content/3bd9...

Spare a thought for the seafarers who are still in the Gulf four weeks on... www.ft.com/content/2dab...

The United Arab Emirates — which has a relatively small but modern navy — is trying to push dozens of countries to form a coalition to ensure shipping is able to pass through the vital Gulf waterway. ft.trib.al/LFZ13CH

Iran seeks tight controls on traffic through strategic Strait of Hormuz ft.trib.al/rnrlaCJ

Ships are forgoing cargo to carry fuel as Iran war sends prices of bunker fuel soaring and brings shortage risks to Singapore. Fuel price increases have added almost $5bn in extra costs to shipping since February 28 🔽 as.ft.com/r/7341b78f-9...

At least the supercars are getting through... Great story from Kana Inagaki @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/38ce...

Has the war in Iran enabled the shadow fleet as the US eases sanctions? At least 15 Iranian oil tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Feb 28, earning Iran possibly around $140mn a day. Our interactive deep dive: ig.ft.com/shadow-fleet/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social & Lucy Rodgers

Iran says ‘non-hostile’ ships can transit Strait of Hormuz ft.trib.al/BoCgWPr

Iran is letting western grain ships through Hormuz to shore up its food supply. The vessels have offloaded at the port of Imam Khomeini in the north of the Gulf. @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/166d0283-5...

The Iran war has caused the gravest energy shock of all time, the head of the International Energy Agency warned, adding that it could take six months or longer to fully restore oil and gas flows from the Gulf. www.ft.com/content/0952...