Several marine insurers said they are cancelling war risk cover for ships due to the conflict in Iran and the Gulf. Insurers including Gard, Skuld, NorthStandard, the London P&I Club and the American Club said their cancellations will take effect from 5 March.
According to notices dated 1 March on their websites, war risk cover will be excluded in Iranian waters, as well as the Gulf and adjacent waters.
Skuld added in its notice that it was working on a buy-back option to reinstate cover.
Japan's MS&AD Insurance Group told Reuters it had suspended underwriting of a range of insurance policies covering war risks in the waters around Iran and Israel and neighbouring countries.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply after the U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes on Iran over the weekend, prompting Tehran to say it had closed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil and gas flows.
Several tanker owners, oil majors and trading houses have since suspended crude, fuel and liquefied natural gas shipments through the narrow waterway, and satellite data has shown vessels accumulating near key United Arab Emirates ports such as Fujairah.
Ship-tracking data on Sunday showed the disruption growing, with at least 150 tankers - including crude and LNG carriers - anchored in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more stationary on the other side of the chokepoint.
The risks intensified further after at least three tankers were damaged off the Gulf coast and one seafarer was killed.
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The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
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