Russia, Iran propose alternative maritime routes amid Suez Canal blockage
Russia and Iran have called for the need to find alternative maritime shipping routes after a giant vessel was stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking maritime traffic for days before it was freed.
CAIRO — The March 24 accident of the giant Panamanian container ship Ever Given sparked reports about the future of the Egyptian Suez Canal amid talks about alternative commercial transport projects.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) managed to free the ship on March 29 after being stranded in the canal for nearly a week, and maritime traffic subsequently resumed.
Along with the SCA and the Japanese company that owns the ship, navigation experts launched on March 30 investigations into the circumstances and causes of the ship’s grounding.
SCA Chairman Osama Rabie told Al-Monitor, “The accident is still under careful investigation to determine its causes.” Rabie explained that “the shipping course of the canal is completely safe now, and all ships that were delayed are now going through the canal.”
