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On Oct 11, 2026, the Solomon Islands authorities deployed the 'Helpr 1' to the disabled ferry 'Awka' (IMO: 9146766), which had been adrift since Oct 9 after an engine failure between Tikopia and Vanikoro, leaving only its electricity generator operational. The ship was drifting in rough seas since. The patrol boat 'Gizo' (IMO: 4734142) of the Royal Solomon Islands took the disabled ferry in tow at midnight. All 73 people on board were suppored in a coordinated operation with air support from France and Australia, and regional logistical assistance. Australian and French military aircraft located the ferry and dropped emergency supplies after passengers raised the alarm using on-board internet services powered by the vessel’s auxiliary generator. Rescuers transferred passengers and crew from the 'Awka' to the 'Helpr 1' before taking them to Vanikoro, Temotu Province, on Oct 12, where they received basic assistance. The local authorities prepared to transfer the passengers to Lat. The cargo m/v 'Sunnine 3' (IMO: 9246293) diverted from its route from Nantong to Suva in order to deliver food, water, and essential supplies to them. The 'Awka' arrived in Vanikoro under tow on Oct 13.

Seaway 7 has confirmed the sale of the 'Seaway Moxie' to the Danish offshore accommodation and project services company CBED, founded in 2008 as a subsidiary of C-bed Holding A/S within The Monjasa Group, which has renamed it 'Wind Dedication'. The vessel had been in service since 2014. The sale reflected the company's continued focus on its core offshore wind installation activities, while providing greater flexibility to source support vessel capacity according to the requirements of individual projects. Despite the transaction, the 'Seaway Moxie' was to continue supporting Seaway 7's existing commitments and was expected to remain on contract with the company until early 2028. The ship berthed in Eemshaven on Oct 9, 2026.

The helmsmen of the 'Bergfjord', 'Hav Frakt' and 'Xanthi', that had collided in the narrow waters of the Valderhaugfjord near Ålesund, were all suspected of negligent navigation. The 'Bergfjord' sustained heavy bow damage and remained docked at the quay near Ålesund since the collision. The 'Hav Frakt' departed the port on Oct 7 enroute to Bergeneset, whiere it arrived on Oct 13. The Norwegian police was investigating the circumstances and suspected the officers on the bridge of negligent navigation. They were examining the electronic data from the ships and interrogated the crew members. There were no indications of alcohol use, but those involved have been tested. It is not yet clear exactly how the three ships became involved in the collision. Inspectors from classification society DNV judged that only the 'Xanthia' was safe enough to continue the voyage. The Norwegian Safety Board was reviewing the available information and would then decide whether a full investigation into the collision was necessary.

The 'Sea-Watch 5' and 'Aurora 2' rescued a total of 227 people from five boats in distress in international waters in the central Mediterranean between the afternoon of Oct 11 and the evening of Oct 12. During the rescue operations, both Sea-Watch ships were harassed by unidentified boats. In one instance, an individual claiming to be from the Libyan navy threatened the 'Sea-Watch 5' with legal action in Tripoli. The Italian authorities have assigned the 'Sea-Watch 5' the port of Civitavecchia, north of Rome, which was three sailing days away. The 'Aurora 2' was assigned the port of Lampedusa, which it reached on the evening of Oct 12. On Oct 11, the 'Sea Watch 5' initially rescued 28 people from a sinking boat, after an aircraft from the organisation "SOS Mediterranée" reported a distress call. Following another distress call, it rescued 51 more people. Before the second rescue, an unidentified boat repeatedly circled the 'Sea-Watch 5'. On the morning of Oct 12, the creew was informed of another boat in distress in a restricted-access area near an offshore oil platform. The 'Aurora 2' rescued a further 76 people in two separate operations on Oct 12. During the first rescue, an unidentified, dark gray fiberglass boat with four people on board approached the 'Aurora 2' without making contact. The same evening, the ship assisted a sixth boat in distress.

The 'Isaac Mayo' repatriated six migrants to Cuba on Oct 13, following the interdiction of a precarious boat and the assistance to a disabled fishing boat on the Florida Straits. On Oct 8, Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received notification from a U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection Air and Marine Operations aircrew of a rustic vessel southwest of Cay Sal. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew located the boat, and the Coast Guard Cutter 'Raymond Evans' embarked three Cuban males. One person was later medically evacuated to shore for a higher level of care. On Oct 11, a Coast Guard Air Station Miami aircrew located a disabled Cuban fishing vessel with four people aboard approximately 46 nautical miles southeast of Key West. The 'Isaac Mayo' responded and rescued the four people. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4624596/coast-guard-repatriates-6-aliens-to-cuba/

The 'Fannefjord', serving between Drag and Kjøpsvik, suffered a technical failure that reduced maneuverability in the middle of the Tysfjord, north of Hulløy, on Oct 13, 2026, with 18 passengers on board, after the departure from Drag at 11:00 a.m. The NSSR-lifeboat 'Sundt Flyer' was deployed to assist the ferry in the shelter of Hulløya and was on scene at 2.30 p.m. The 'Sundt Flyer' went on on standby with the ship, until the tug 'Borg Fix' (IMO: 8012621) arrived from Harstad, as the shipping company did not want to dock the ship in Kjøpsvik without assistance. The tug was four sailing hours away. The ferry still had maneuverability, and the situation was under control. The 'Fennefjord' was finally assisted to Kjøpsvik at around 7 p.m. At 3.30 p.m. the ferry connection between Drag and Kjøpsvik was declared suspended due to the technical problems. On the morning of Oct 14, the reserve ferry 'Sulafjord' was inserted on the route. Reports with photos: https://www.fremover.no/ferge-har-havarert-vi-jobber-med-feilsoking-na/s/80-4-37967 https://www.nrk.no/nordland/ferge-med-18-passasjerer-fikk-motorstans-_-ma-vente-fire-timer-pa-hjelp-1.18053831 https://nordsalten.no/havarert-ferge-venter-fortsatt-paa-slepebaat

The Panama Maritime Authority has expelled three tankers, that were sanctioned days ago by the USA, in the ongoing efforts to pressure Iran. While regularly monitoring its registry for violators, the authority had already dealt with the vessels included in the recent UK sanctions package. The authority highlighted that it must follow a prescribed procedure to notify vessels and revoke their registry while having increased its efforts and enacting new legislation to expedite the removal process. In the first six months after the Executive Decree was invoked, Panama reports a total of 107 sanctioned vessels were removed from its registry. Three more were in the process. As the largest registry by number of ships, Panama has historically noted the challenges of monitoring all the vessels under its flag. Currently, it has approximately 7,700 flag vessels representing more than 196 million gross registry tons. The U.S. Treasury reported its latest efforts on Oct 8, 2026, as part of the Operation Economic Outcast, listing a total of 17 tankers as part of the efforts to further tighten the restrictions on the fleet of shadow tankers supporting Iran’s oil operations. The U.S. effort included vessels operating under a broad range of flags, including Comoros, Bahamas, Palau, Mongolia, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Sierra Leone, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, San Marino, Gambia, and notably three tankers registered in Panama. Panamanian officials noted that they have already restricted the three vessels listed by the United States and, according to databases, one of the ships has already changed its flag. AMP officials said the full removal of the vessels is in process. The 'Starway' was listed in the databases as having moved its flag in September to Barbados, after sailing under the Panama flag for approximately two years. The ship was Chinese-managed and owned by a corporation registered in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Treasury accused the vessel of having transported over three million barrels of Iranian naphtha since 2025. The 'Mackerel' has been in the Panama registry for three years. The vessel, which was built in 2003, was managed from India while its ownership was listed as a corporation in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. authorities reported the tanker has transported over 500,000 barrels of Iranian high-sulfur fuel oil since December 2025. The 'Bitu' has also been registered in Panama since 2024, and it is managed from the UAE. It has transported over 170,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen/asphalt in 2026. The flag states were working to crack down on the so-called practice of “flag hopping,” but it remained a challenge as the vessels pop up in different locations and with different names or go into false-flag operations.

The 'HMM Platinum', with 24 crew members on board, was located off Madagascar on Oct 12, 2026, after a fire had interrupted its voyage from Kattupalli to Santos on the morning of Oct 7. All crew members were safe, and no injuries have been reported. On Oct 13 the fire fighting winded down, after it had entered the final dampening-down stage. The vessel sought a South African port of refuge, with its onward voyage disrupted. UK-based marine claims services firm W.E. Cox Claims Group has reported that the salvage company SMIT was engaged under Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF). The firm expected potentially significant damage and considered a general average declaration likely, bringing possible financial and security requirements for cargo interests alongside the disruption to deliveries. Marine and transit claims consultancy WK Webster reported that the fire occurred within a container, while the vessel was navigating off Lavanono, on Madagascar’s southern coast. On Oct 8 it was reported that approximately 2,300 containers were aboard. Although the firm warned that damage could be significant, no confirmed tally of affected containers or quantified assessment of the vessel and cargo losses has been published in the notices. The ship’s propulsion and navigation systems were operating normally. Durban was initially identified as the intended port of refuge. W.E. Cox’s 7 October notice gave an expected ETA as of Oct 8, but its next update said the vessel was looking for an alternative port, potentially Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha. On Oct 10, the ship was southwest of Madagascar at a speed of 2.7 knots and the navigational status “not under command”, while Durban remained entered as the destination. The vessel was therefore still offshore in that reported position, rather than alongside at a refuge port. Investigations into the cause and damage, as well as decisions on the vessel’s destination, were to proceed once the fire was fully extinguished. The ship had left Kattupalli on Sep 27 enroute to Santos. Before that, it had called at Qingdao, Busan, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Singapore.

A crew member of the 'Chelsea 3' said a Russian drone had struck the vessel three times during the attack in the Black Sea near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, 18 miles east of Byala. The Bulgariam MP and former Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said that his opposition party GERB supported ending the bloody war and the loss of human life, de-escalating tensions and stopping armed conflicts near Bulgaria’s borders. However, these goals should not come at the expense of national security or the defense of Bulgaria’s national interests: “Last week, we warned that if Bulgaria did not provide a response to the Black Sea incident that was sufficiently firm and clearly understood by the aggressor, a repeat of the event would not be long in coming. And today, that is exactly what we are seeing. Two more ships have been hit, this time just three miles from Bulgarian territorial waters”. According to the GERB lawmaker, the authorities in power did not consider the incident involving the first two vessels serious, because the attacks took place within Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The hostilities were moving increasingly close to Bulgarian territory. Georgiev also referred to last week’s Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) meeting, saying that the GERB leader Boyko Borisov was perhaps the only participant to explicitly identify the aggressor in the war. Georgiev argued that Bulgaria could not respond decisively without accurately identifying the causes and underlying reasons for the attacks. He further criticised Radev for repeating his previous position following the latest strikes, saying that the only new element was the decision to summon the Russian ambassador: “Anyone with even a basic understanding of international relations knows that an ambassador is not on the same level as a prime minister. There are many other channels that should be activated first—specifically, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should state the state's firm and unequivocal position in the appropriate manner and make Bulgaria's stance clear. Instead, a week and four blown-up ships later, we are still left guessing whether they are Russian or speculating that they might be Ukrainian. Today, the affected crew members include Ukrainians. I doubt the Ukrainian side is trying to kill its own people". Radev could have contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov or Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan directly. The GERB would seek an extraordinary parliamentary session at which the ruling authorities would be required to provide further information about the attacks.

The helmsmen of the 'Bergfjord', 'Hav Frakt' and 'Xanthi', that had collided in the narrow waters of the Valderhaugfjord near Ålesund, were all suspected of negligent navigation. The 'Bergfjord' sustained heavy bow damage and remained docked at the quay near Ålesund since the collision. The 'Hav Frakt' departed the port on Oct 7 enroute to Bergeneset, whiere it arrived on Oct 13. The Norwegian police was investigating the circumstances and suspected the officers on the bridge of negligent navigation. They were examining the electronic data from the ships and interrogated the crew members. There were no indications of alcohol use, but those involved have been tested. It is not yet clear exactly how the three ships became involved in the collision. Inspectors from classification society DNV judged that only the 'Xanthia' was safe enough to continue the voyage. The Norwegian Safety Board was reviewing the available information and would then decide whether a full investigation into the collision was necessary.

The 'Sea-Watch 5' and 'Aurora 2' rescued a total of 227 people from five boats in distress in international waters in the central Mediterranean between the afternoon of Oct 11 and the evening of Oct 12. During the rescue operations, both Sea-Watch ships were harassed by unidentified boats. In one instance, an individual claiming to be from the Libyan navy threatened the 'Sea-Watch 5' with legal action in Tripoli. The Italian authorities have assigned the 'Sea-Watch 5' the port of Civitavecchia, north of Rome, which was three sailing days away. The 'Aurora 2' was assigned the port of Lampedusa, which it reached on the evening of Oct 12. On Oct 11, the 'Sea Watch 5' initially rescued 28 people from a sinking boat, after an aircraft from the organisation "SOS Mediterranée" reported a distress call. Following another distress call, it rescued 51 more people. Before the second rescue, an unidentified boat repeatedly circled the 'Sea-Watch 5'. On the morning of Oct 12, the creew was informed of another boat in distress in a restricted-access area near an offshore oil platform. The 'Aurora 2' rescued a further 76 people in two separate operations on Oct 12. During the first rescue, an unidentified, dark gray fiberglass boat with four people on board approached the 'Aurora 2' without making contact. The same evening, the ship assisted a sixth boat in distress.

The 'Isaac Mayo' repatriated six migrants to Cuba on Oct 13, following the interdiction of a precarious boat and the assistance to a disabled fishing boat on the Florida Straits. On Oct 8, Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received notification from a U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection Air and Marine Operations aircrew of a rustic vessel southwest of Cay Sal. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew located the boat, and the Coast Guard Cutter 'Raymond Evans' embarked three Cuban males. One person was later medically evacuated to shore for a higher level of care. On Oct 11, a Coast Guard Air Station Miami aircrew located a disabled Cuban fishing vessel with four people aboard approximately 46 nautical miles southeast of Key West. The 'Isaac Mayo' responded and rescued the four people. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4624596/coast-guard-repatriates-6-aliens-to-cuba/

The Panama Maritime Authority has expelled three tankers, that were sanctioned days ago by the USA, in the ongoing efforts to pressure Iran. While regularly monitoring its registry for violators, the authority had already dealt with the vessels included in the recent UK sanctions package. The authority highlighted that it must follow a prescribed procedure to notify vessels and revoke their registry while having increased its efforts and enacting new legislation to expedite the removal process. In the first six months after the Executive Decree was invoked, Panama reports a total of 107 sanctioned vessels were removed from its registry. Three more were in the process. As the largest registry by number of ships, Panama has historically noted the challenges of monitoring all the vessels under its flag. Currently, it has approximately 7,700 flag vessels representing more than 196 million gross registry tons. The U.S. Treasury reported its latest efforts on Oct 8, 2026, as part of the Operation Economic Outcast, listing a total of 17 tankers as part of the efforts to further tighten the restrictions on the fleet of shadow tankers supporting Iran’s oil operations. The U.S. effort included vessels operating under a broad range of flags, including Comoros, Bahamas, Palau, Mongolia, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Sierra Leone, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, San Marino, Gambia, and notably three tankers registered in Panama. Panamanian officials noted that they have already restricted the three vessels listed by the United States and, according to databases, one of the ships has already changed its flag. AMP officials said the full removal of the vessels is in process. The 'Starway' was listed in the databases as having moved its flag in September to Barbados, after sailing under the Panama flag for approximately two years. The ship was Chinese-managed and owned by a corporation registered in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Treasury accused the vessel of having transported over three million barrels of Iranian naphtha since 2025. The 'Mackerel' has been in the Panama registry for three years. The vessel, which was built in 2003, was managed from India while its ownership was listed as a corporation in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. authorities reported the tanker has transported over 500,000 barrels of Iranian high-sulfur fuel oil since December 2025. The 'Bitu' has also been registered in Panama since 2024, and it is managed from the UAE. It has transported over 170,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen/asphalt in 2026. The flag states were working to crack down on the so-called practice of “flag hopping,” but it remained a challenge as the vessels pop up in different locations and with different names or go into false-flag operations.

One crew member of the 'Vikan' (IMO: 9116644) has been killed after the vessel was struck during the shelling of the Yemeni port of Ras Issa on Oct 13, 2026, when airstrikes were conducted on Yemen’s western Hodeidah province by Saudi Arabia. Also the 'RSM Blessed' was hit. In this strike, the crew was safe. Ten airstrikes hit Yemen’s western Hodeidah province by Saudi Arabia. Two air strike campaigns were conducted on the Ras Issa port, targeting Yemeni oil storage tanks and on an oil station in the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah province.

The Royal Navy-led UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre’s alerts #167, #168 and #169 covered attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, reported retrospectively on Oct 12, including an unidentified India-flagged containership making an inbound transit, the 'Kition M', making an outbound transit and the Bahamas-flagged crude tanker 'Ever Vict', also outbound. All three vessels were struck by unidentified projectiles on Oct 11. Social media accounts were circulating reports of the Singapore-flagged container ship 'GFS Pride' (IMO: 9349045) being on fire and drifting near Ras Makhbuq. The 'Kition M' had been transiting with its AIS inactive, with its last publicly recorded position at Jabal Az Zannah anchorage, UAE, on Oct 6. The precise location of the attack has not been disclosed. All crew members were reported safe, although the extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unknown. The UKMTO #169 corresponded with the 'Ever Vict' (IMO: 9266774), which was struck by an unidentified projectile while outbound about 11.5 nautical miles northwest of Khor Khwair, UAE. The tanker had been operating with its AIS inactive. It resumed transmissions near Khor Khwair on Oct 12 at 4.41 p.m. UTC , proceeding northeast at 1.2 knots. By 6.01 p.m. UTC, it was drifting at about 0.3 knots and broadcasting a navigational status of “not under command”. The condition of the 'Ever Vict'’s crew, the extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unconfirmed. On Oct 11, at 12 p.m. UTC, the Liberia-flagged crude tanker 'Angola Prosperity' (IMO: 9896414) was struck on its port side by an unidentified projectile at 1200 UTC while making an outbound transit. The impact damaged the vessel’s steering gear room and port-side water tank. All crew members were reported safe, and no environmental impact was reported. The tanker subsequently proceeded towards Fujairah anchorage.

For the second time within three months, a sailor died on the 'Cabo Vírgenes'. He suffered a serious accident on Oct 13. The incident occurred approximately 190 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Deseado, while the crew was fishing for hake. The worker was trapped in one of the fishing gear's doors. He began experiencing severe pain and vomiting. Given the seriousness of the situation, the captain contacted the coastal station in Comodoro Rivadavia to request medical assistance. Instructions for attending to the worker were given via radio while his evacuation was being assessed. Although he was initially conscious, his condition worsened, and he subsequently lost consciousness. The Argentine Naval Prefecture deployed a PA-43 Dauphin helicopter and a PA-25 airplane to carry out a medevac. The fishing vessel was instructed to head towards Puerto Deseado to facilitate a rendezvous with the rescue team. While the aircraft were still en route, the captain reported that the sailor no longer had a detectable pulse. The crew initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and used an automated external defibrillator (AED), following the instructions of the medical professionals. Despite efforts, it was not possible to revive him. The death was reported while the helicopter was still in flight, so the evacuation had to be canceled. After the death was confirmed, Assistant Prosecutor Romina Cerezo was notified. Although the vessel was initially sailing towards Puerto Deseado, it was authorised on Oct 13 at 7:30 p.m. to change course to Puerto Madryn, its home port. Once the vessel has arrived, personnel from the Argentine Naval Prefecture would take statements from the crew and carry out the corresponding procedures. The investigation would be seeking to establish the circumstances of the accident and determine the cause of death. The 'Cabo Vírgenes' had set sail on October 4 at 9:30 a.m. from Puerto Madryn. On July 23, 2026, Eduardo Morales, a 50-year-old sailor from Sierra Grande, died after falling into the sea while working on the 'Cabo Vírgenes'. A search operation was launched resulting in the recovery of his body. The 'Cabo Vírgenes' is operated by Red Chamber Argentina S.A.

The helmsmen of the 'Bergfjord', 'Hav Frakt' and 'Xanthi', that had collided in the narrow waters of the Valderhaugfjord near Ålesund, were all suspected of negligent navigation. The 'Bergfjord' sustained heavy bow damage and remained docked at the quay near Ålesund since the collision. The 'Hav Frakt' departed the port on Oct 7 enroute to Bergeneset, whiere it arrived on Oct 13. The Norwegian police was investigating the circumstances and suspected the officers on the bridge of negligent navigation. They were examining the electronic data from the ships and interrogated the crew members. There were no indications of alcohol use, but those involved have been tested. It is not yet clear exactly how the three ships became involved in the collision. Inspectors from classification society DNV judged that only the 'Xanthia' was safe enough to continue the voyage. The Norwegian Safety Board was reviewing the available information and would then decide whether a full investigation into the collision was necessary.

Three drones targeted the Ukrainian owned 'Chelsea 3' in the Black Sea, approximately 15 nautical miles from the Bulgarian city of Byala, en route from Giresun to Giurgiulești, on Oct 13, 2026, at 1.30 a.m. (Oct 12, 10.30 p.m. GMT). The ship was struck at the port side stern. On its previous voyage, it had carried grain from Ukraine to Turkey, where the shipment was unloaded, before the ship began its return journey. All 15 crew members were evacuated, among them seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani nationals. The castaways were taken to Varna, where they arrived at 7.15 a.m., and the five injured sailors received medical treatment. The damaged ship was initally adrift off Cape Sveti Atanas, before being anchored off Varna in pos. 42 51.058 N 028 17.108 E on Oct 13 at 02:30 a.m. UTC (05:30 a.m. LT). Also the cargo m/v 'Azov Concord' (IMO: 9387748) and the offshore supply ship ' Skandi Asserter' (IMO: 9245902) had joined the SAR operation. The cargo m/v 'HS Dignity' (IMO: 9545912), enroute from Mostaganem to Brăila with 16 crew members on board, was struck by several drones in the Black Sea, about 17 nautical miles off Krapets, on the evening of Oct 12, 2026. The ship sank at 10 p.m. in pos. 43°32.07′ N 028°59.12′ E, east of Cape Shabla. Emergency teams rescued five crew members. The fate of the remaining 11 sailors, believed to be Syrian and Egyptian nationals, has not yet been established. The search was still underway on Oct 13. Bulgaria does ​not border either Ukraine or Russia, but ​as a ⁠NATO member it holds a strategic position on the Black Sea, where both countries have major ports. There are ⁠growing ​concerns about hybrid attacks involving ​drones by Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. The Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency meeting and summoned the Russian envoy Eleonora Mitrofanova. He called on NATO and the European Union for assistanceThe president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, strongly condemned the drone attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s coast, stating that the Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine. Reports with photos and video: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20261013-11-missing-after-ships-struck-off-bulgaria-in-latest-black-sea-attack https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16204477/Two-ships-hit-drone-strikes-Bulgaria-including-Ukrainian-vessel-week-similar-attack.html https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=goKmHud-pg0

The 'Coruisk', serving on the route Mallaig - Armadale, suffered a technical issue on the morning of Oct 13. After the issue was resolved, the ferry departed from the port of Mallaig with a delay at 10:30 a.m. Upon its arrival in Armadale, the vessel operated a delayed 10:30 a.m. sailing on a load and go service.

The Panama Maritime Authority has expelled three tankers, that were sanctioned days ago by the USA, in the ongoing efforts to pressure Iran. While regularly monitoring its registry for violators, the authority had already dealt with the vessels included in the recent UK sanctions package. The authority highlighted that it must follow a prescribed procedure to notify vessels and revoke their registry while having increased its efforts and enacting new legislation to expedite the removal process. In the first six months after the Executive Decree was invoked, Panama reports a total of 107 sanctioned vessels were removed from its registry. Three more were in the process. As the largest registry by number of ships, Panama has historically noted the challenges of monitoring all the vessels under its flag. Currently, it has approximately 7,700 flag vessels representing more than 196 million gross registry tons. The U.S. Treasury reported its latest efforts on Oct 8, 2026, as part of the Operation Economic Outcast, listing a total of 17 tankers as part of the efforts to further tighten the restrictions on the fleet of shadow tankers supporting Iran’s oil operations. The U.S. effort included vessels operating under a broad range of flags, including Comoros, Bahamas, Palau, Mongolia, Cameroon, Zanzibar, Sierra Leone, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, San Marino, Gambia, and notably three tankers registered in Panama. Panamanian officials noted that they have already restricted the three vessels listed by the United States and, according to databases, one of the ships has already changed its flag. AMP officials said the full removal of the vessels is in process. The 'Starway' was listed in the databases as having moved its flag in September to Barbados, after sailing under the Panama flag for approximately two years. The ship was Chinese-managed and owned by a corporation registered in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Treasury accused the vessel of having transported over three million barrels of Iranian naphtha since 2025. The 'Mackerel' has been in the Panama registry for three years. The vessel, which was built in 2003, was managed from India while its ownership was listed as a corporation in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. authorities reported the tanker has transported over 500,000 barrels of Iranian high-sulfur fuel oil since December 2025. The 'Bitu' has also been registered in Panama since 2024, and it is managed from the UAE. It has transported over 170,000 barrels of Iranian bitumen/asphalt in 2026. The flag states were working to crack down on the so-called practice of “flag hopping,” but it remained a challenge as the vessels pop up in different locations and with different names or go into false-flag operations.