Global maritime and offshore update – April 2026
10 April 2026
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes, carrying around one fifth of global oil demand alongside significant volumes of gas and fertilisers. Recent developments have heightened risks for international shipping, supply chains and global energy and food security. This disruption places commercial shipping operators at the centre of geopolitical tension, raising urgent legal and operational questions about passage rights and risk allocation.
This article examines the international legal framework governing navigation through the Strait, including the rights of transit and innocent passage under customary international law, and considers when interference with shipping may be lawful. It also focuses on the practical steps shipowners and charterers can take to protect their interests, analysing key contractual safeguards commonly found in charterparties and contracts of carriage, from safe port warranties and force majeure provisions to deviation, war risks and sanctions clauses, to help manage exposure.
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