As of the afternoon of March 2, 2026, geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East continued to escalate, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked, security risks in the Red Sea shipping lanes increasing sharply, and multiple ports under attack and operations disrupted, leaving the regional logistics system in a state of near paralysis. As a vital link in global energy trade and a core transit point for trade between Asia, Europe, and Africa, the shutdown of Middle Eastern ports and shipping lanes is rapidly spreading through shipping, energy, and foreign trade, triggering shocks to the global supply chain.
This crisis began on February 28 with the joint US-Israeli military operation. Iran subsequently announced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the Houthi rebels resumed attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. The conflict quickly spilled over to the six Gulf states and Red Sea littoral states, resulting in a situation where core hubs were completely shut down, key ports were restricted, and only a handful of ports were operating normally. Based on announcements from DP World, maritime authorities of various countries, and shipping giants, as of 2 PM on March 2, the following is a classification of ports in the Middle East that were paralyzed or severely disrupted: Jebel Ali Port, UAE; Bahrain's National Ports; Duqm Port and Asyad Dry Dock, Oman; Ports throughout Iran; Port of Eilat, Israel; The core ports above were completely paralyzed and all operations were suspended. Key ports severely disrupted and experiencing a significant decline in operational efficiency: Qatar's Ras Lafan and Maysayed ports; Kuwait's Shuwajh and Shuaibai ports; UAE's Fujairah and Khor Fekan ports; and ports along the Suez Canal in Egypt. Strait of Hormuz are totally blocked; Red Sea-Mandeb Strait: Security Crisis Leads to Massive Withdrawal of Shipping Giants.
The situation affects the shipping line from Asia to Middle East and Europe. The sea freight will go up a lot, and the delivery date will be delayed a lot. Hoping for peace to come soon.
