The situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile, and a number of shipping lines have recently announced the suspension of their services. This is neither the first time they have scaled back operations, nor is it likely to be the last. With the Bab el-Mandeb Strait constantly at risk of closure and the Strait of Hormuz experiencing repeated disruptions, the two key shipping arteries — the Red Sea and the Middle East routes — are being gradually squeezed.

    Hapag-Lloyd Suspends JD2 and JD3 Services    

         May 10 will mark a turning point. Hapag-Lloyd has announced that its JD2 and JD3 services will be temporarily suspended effective that date, with no resumption date announced.

         This adjustment is not an isolated event but part of a broader reconfiguration of Red Sea networks, reflecting the shipping lines' pragmatic — and somewhat reluctant — strategy to consolidate capacity and maintain regional stability.

         The JD2 service previously called at Tangier, East Port Said, and Jeddah, while the JD3 service linked East Port Said, Aqaba, and Jeddah. With the suspension of these services, capacity will be rerouted onto alternative services such as JD1 and SE4. However, as many industry players have already experienced, these "alternative routes" cannot fully replicate the original capacity or connectivity on every segment.

         The most immediate impact is that cargo which relied on JD2 and JD3 for access to and from Jeddah and Aqaba will be forced into already congested alternative routes. This is particularly concerning for feeder connections to Jordan, which have limited capacity to begin with. Following the suspension, the pressure at the final leg is bound to multiply.

    ONE Announces Voyage Termination！ Affecting Cargo from Multiple Chinese Ports    

         Due to the recent tensions in the Middle East region, Ocean Network Express (ONE) has issued a notice of voyage termination, which will directly impact container shipments from China to the Middle East.

         Ocean Network Express has announced the termination of the originally scheduled Middle East voyage for the "HMM MIR" (Voyage 0019W/0020E) on its GS2 service. Cargo loaded on board will be forcibly discharged at Khor Fakkan in the UAE or at the port of Sohar in Oman. The original port rotation of this service included multiple major Chinese ports such as Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, and Shekou, before proceeding via Singapore to中东 (Middle Eastern) destinations including Jebel Ali, Dammam, and Abu Dhabi.

         Consequently, cargo loaded at various Chinese ports destined for the Persian Gulf region will not arrive as originally planned. Cargo owners will need to arrange for subsequent transshipment at their own expense. All additional costs, including port handling charges, storage fees, demurrage, and detention charges, shall be borne by the cargo owners.

    Both Doors of the Middle East Locked Simultaneously    

         The past month in Middle Eastern shipping can be summed up in one word: chaotic. First, there were reports that the Strait of Hormuz would be fully open for navigation during a ceasefire declared by Iran. Then, the US tore up the agreement, and the strait reverted to a "closed port" status, with all vessel movements subject to the strict control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Maersk subsequently issued a clear advisory recommending that all cargo owners avoid transiting the Strait of Hormuz, even despite the so-called temporary ceasefire.

         At the same time, the other Red Sea gateway, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, remains on the brink of potential closure. In mid-April, Yemen's Houthi forces issued a public warning: if the peace process is hindered, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could be militarily closed. Shortly after, Iran's Revolutionary Guard issued an unusually severe warning to all commercial vessels in the strait. Even Somalia on April 22 made a high-profile announcement that it would impose restrictions on the passage of Israel-affiliated vessels through the strait.

         The result of these two chokepoints tightening simultaneously is that shipping lines are finding their maneuvering room increasingly constrained. Many of the feeder routes that previously operated within the Red Sea and Middle East have been gradually reduced or severed, and any remaining "windows" of opportunity are being squeezed to the limit. The supply chain's capability to find alternatives is rapidly approaching zero.

         From the slow transformation of the Red Sea into a "high-risk waterway" since late last year, to the repeated opening and closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and now the potential physical closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the shipping ecosystem has ingrained "uncertainty" into its very core. The new route adjustments by shipping lines represent just another move on a continuously shrinking chessboard. In this context, each round of voyage suspensions is like tightening another turn of the screw on the supply chain, ultimately forcing all freight forwarders and their clients to recalculate their own room for flexibility.