As a diplomatic tit-for-tat exchange played out on Monday in the wake of the drone attack on Zodiac-operated product tanker Mercer Street, shipping security specialists were swiftly being brought in to review any potential links that could cause ships to be caught up in the escalating Middle East conflict

The tankers are two of the 138 ships managed by the Ofer family’s shipping business

‘With profound sadness, we understand the incident on Mercer Street... has resulted in the deaths of two crew members on board: A Romanian national and a UK national,’ the company says

Investigations reveal circumstantial evidence the tanker was responsible for February oil spill that shut Israeli beaches

Uptake of marine cyber insurance is at an impasse, with specialist cover available but too few shipowners willing to buy it. Parallels with piracy insurance offer hints as to how the deadlock may be broken

Dozens of vessels heading for key ports may face delays as Transnet is still working to resolve the issues. It may take a few more days before operations are restored, one ship agent said

The anti-piracy body raises alarm over the situation in the Singapore Strait. Incidents are likely to continue to occur there if the perpetrators are not arrested

With stowaways costing as much as $300,000 to disembark, getting seafarers invested in ship security is needed to help prevent unauthorised boardings, according to one risk analyst

Piracy incidents are at a 27-year low in the first half of 2021 but crews must stay vigilant, according to watchdog the International Maritime Bureau