Global shipping giant Maersk has suspended port calls in Iran in response to the West’s tightening of trade sanctions, according to a company spokesperson.
'This is a pragmatic decision based on an assessment of balancing the benefits of doing limited business in Iran against the risk of damaging business opportunities elsewhere particularly the US,” a spokeswoman for the unit of Danish group AP Moller-Maersk said.
According to a Reuters report, the US blacklisted major Iranian port operator Tidewater Middle East in 2011. As a result, Maersk line suspended operations at several ports at the time. Tidewater operates seven terminals in Iran including the countries largest container port Bandar Abbas.
'Maersk Line ceased its acceptance to all other ports than Bushehr in 2011,' the spokeswoman said, referring to a small northern container port. 'The discontinuation of services to and from Bushehr unfortunately reflects the difficulties servicing Iran as a whole.'
