UK warns of rising maritime risk as Gulf tensions surge. Following Wednesday’s news that CMA CGM is officially reinstating regular rotations through the Suez Canal, while lines like Hapag-Lloyd adopt a wait-and-see-approach, maritime trade in the wider Middle East region remains on tenterhooks. This is after British maritime authorities sounded an urgent warning to commercial shipping in the greater Arabian Sea area, citing a sharp rise in regional tensions that could endanger vessels passing through some of the world’s most vital waterways. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, alongside the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa and the Joint Maritime Information Centre, issued a coordinated security alert on 11 June, highlighting an increased threat level in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The advisory pointed to a “deteriorating regional security climate” that could expose seafarers to direct harm. The development comes amid a worsening diplomatic standoff between the US and Iran with the two countries locked in a stalled negotiation process over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. A sixth round of talks is expected to take place this weekend in Oman but optimism is in short supply as both sides harden their positions. President Donald Trump has publicly insisted that the US will not rule out the use of military force should talks fail to curb Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. Read more : www.dronexpress.co.zw