Decision of US insurer not to provide additional 'war risk' coverage to vessel sunk by Yemeni group could have chilling effect on Haifa port

By Sean Mathews Published date: 16 July 2025 14:15 BST

“Vessels are going to start to avoid calling at Israeli ports. It’s not about getting hit by the Houthis, but the chance of not being insured,” a maritime security official told MEE. “Does a secondary or tertiary link to Israel mean you can be denied coverage?”

The Eternity C had no direct link to Israel, but Cosmoship vessels regularly called at Israeli ports last year. The CEO of Stem Shipping, the owner of Magic Seas, acknowledged that his vessels sometimes call at Israeli ports also.