Iraq’s national shipping line has resumed regular container operations in the Gulf for the first time in more than five decades, as the country’s trade continues to adjust to the disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.
Iraqi Maritime Line has deployed the 902 twenty-foot-equivalent-unit Basrah in an eight-day shuttle connecting Jebel Ali in Dubai with Umm Qasr, Iraq’s main container port, according to Alphaliner.
The vessel departed Jebel Ali on October 21 and was expected to reach Umm Qasr two days later, according to Splash 247.
Carriers reroute cargo
The service comes as Iraq adjusts its container supply chains following disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
Data from the Jordan Shipping Association showed that a total of 37,182 Iraq-bound containers passed through Aqaba in the first seven months of 2026, compared with 3,599 in the same period last year.
Shipping lines have also introduced alternative services to maintain cargo flow, with Maersk introducing landbridge services from Aqaba to Iraq, while CMA CGM offered routes through Aqaba for southern Iraq and Mersin in Turkey.
Additionally, Hapag-Lloyd has used Khorfakkan as an alternative gateway, moving containers by road to Sharjah or Jebel Ali before transferring to feeder vessels serving Iraq and other upper areas Gulf destinations, Splash 247 reported.
Iraq’s maritime revival
The disruption has also pushed shippers to rely more heavily on overland transport, with ports in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan seeing higher cargo volumes as carriers looked for alternative routes.
The return of the regular Gulf container operations, meanwhile, marks part of Iraq’s efforts to reactivate national carriers and develop its maritime transport sector, the transport ministry said.
The Basrah, which is registered under the Jordanian flag, was delivered in 2014 and is owned by Iraq.
It has a deadweight capacity of 17,787 tonnes and is 143 metres in length, according to Maritime Executive.
Earlier this year, the ship was deployed to help ease pressure on supply chains, including food imports.
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