G7 states are unanimous — the drone strike on the Liberia-flagged product tanker Mercer Street was a deliberate and targeted attack, and a clear violation of international law by Iran. But the UK has stopped short of classifying the attack as terrorism. Lawyer Stephen Askins argues that calling out cowardly attacks on ships and designating them for what they are would send a strong signal to those perpetrating them

The Nave Andromeda’s master did the right thing to send out a mayday call to deal with threats from the seven stowaways that imperilled the product tanker’s safe navigation. Whether the men were exercising ‘control’ of the ship by the use or threat of force, and what this constitutes, will be central to any prosecution

When it comes to employing armed guards in the HRA, UK-flagged ships are out of kilter with the rest of the world fleet

Is it time for ITLOS to have its mandate increased to allow crew members’ own countries to intervene on their behalf?

Playing the waiting game to get ’prices’ down is more costly financially as well as ethically

It is worth highlighting the analysis of the last 60 attacks on shipping as reported by a leading maritime risk analysis company