Middle East Conflicts 2026: Implications for the Maritime Domain

The conflicts in the Middle East have transformed the basic assumptions of vulnerability in the maritime domain. Disruptions across critical chokepoints, in particular in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab e-Mandeb military operations in the Strait of Hormuz spawn fuel-price shock across the globe. The shipping sectors are grappling with rerouted services, extended transit times, escalated war-risk insurance premiums, and volatile energy supply chains. The Maritime Institute of Malaysia’s “Special Edition 2026: Conflicts – in the Middle East, Implications for the Maritime Domain” comprehensively addresses the issue across multiple facets from the disruptions. The chapters cover great power interactions, military blockade, operational reconfiguration of global ports and environmental stresses facing downstream corridors like the Straits of Malacca, to the complex transactional surge of ‘dark fleets’ and the legal protection of vulnerable underwater infrastructure. The book assessed the intersection of economic interests, military power, and the international maritime law in the maritime economy. A high-impact analysis, this publication is timely in highlighting critical issues for policy planners, governments, commercial stakeholders, and academics in navigation disruptions in the maritime domain. It provides the readers with insights on multi-layered frameworks on commercialism, preserving digital sovereignty, environmental sustainability, and regional economic prosperity.

ISBN: 978-983-9275-865

Year published: 2026

Price: RM100

Page: 239

Content

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Abbreviations

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgement

Message from the Reviewer

Chapter 1 STRAITS USED FOR INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION AND GREAT POWERS INTERACTION (Sumathy Permal)

Chapter 2 UNITED STATES-IRAN WAR: A PROTRACTED STALEMATE AT SEA (Haikal Amran)

Chapter 3 MILITARY BLOCKADE: A GROWING MARITIME SECURITY CHALLENGE (Nurismarina Smail@Ismail)

Chapter 4 TRANSIT PASSAGE IN INTERNATIONAL STRAITS: LEGAL ASSESSMENT OF BLOCKADES AND TRANSIT TOLLS UNDER UNCLOS (Muhammad Hafizuddin

Ismail)

Chapter 5 WAR-RISK INSURANCE PREMIUMS AND SUPPLY CHAIN COST INFLATION DURING THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS 2026 (Mazlinawati Abdul Majid)

Chapter 6 THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: IMPACTS ON SHIPPING CONNECTIVITY AND TRADE ACTIVITIES (Wan Muhammad Amirul Amin Md Akhir)

Chapter 7 PORT OPERATIONAL VULNERABILITIES AMID THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS (Siti Maisarah Zainurin)

Chapter 8 LESSONS FROM THE HORMUZ CRISIS AND SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA (Cheryl Rita Kaur)

Chapter 9 THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS AND THE SURGE OF DARK FLEETS OPERATIONS (Muhd Nazmi Zuhairi bin Azmen)

Chapter 10 LEGAL AND JURISDICTIONAL CHALLENGES IN THE PROTECTION OF SUBMARINE CABLES (Raaga Manjari Annathurai)

Chapter 11 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS ON THE STRAITS OF MALACCA (Fatin Anis Azzahra Kamarudin)

Chapter 12 SECURITY: MARITIME CHOKEPOINT BEYOND DISRUPTIONS AND IMPLICATIONS ON MARINE POLLUTION (Thaarshini Paramasivan)

Chapter 13 MIDDLE EAST CRISIS-INDUCED REROUTING AND DISRUPTIONS ON MARITIME DECARBONISATION (Aiman Hisyam Azmi)