Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has suspended all cargo bookings to the Middle East and told its vessels in the Gulf region to move to designated shelter locations, according to a company advisory issued on Sunday.

The carrier said ships already operating in the Gulf, along with those heading there, have been instructed to proceed to those shelter points until further notice. As part of the same precaution, MSC has paused bookings for worldwide cargo destined for the Middle East.

The decision follows growing security concerns affecting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. The situation has intensified after a series of strikes and retaliatory attacks involving the US and Iran, raising wider worries about shipping security and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy trade route.

Other container operators, including CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and AP Moller Maersk, have also announced precautionary changes to some sailings in the region.