Join Capt. Raghu Sharma for the March 8, 2026, edition of the DeepDraft Weekly Maritime Brief. This episode explores the critical intersection of regulatory compliance and high-intensity kinetic risk shaping today's global maritime industry.Key Topics Covered:

• Flag of Convenience vs. Safety: We analyze the 2026 Port State Control (PSC) data from the Paris and Tokyo MoUs to debunk the narrative that open registries inherently mean substandard shipping. Discover why a vessel's condition is ultimately determined by shore-side technical management, capital allocation, and Safety Management System (SMS) integrity, rather than jurisdictional shorthand. We also highlight the growing risks of the expanding, aging "shadow fleet".
• Kinetic Escalation in the Middle East: A detailed breakdown of the recent infrastructure disruptions and kinetic events in the Persian Gulf. We cover the destruction of the Iranian "Hormuz Flotilla," IRGC strikes on U.S. Tanker Security Program vessels (Stena Imperative and Stena Enterprise), the precautionary shutdown of the Ras Tanura refinery, and the tragic first merchant seafarer fatality following a strike on the MKD Vyom.
• Insurance Freezes & Sovereign Backstops: With seven major P&I Clubs withdrawing War Risk cover for the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, commercial transit has become economically untenable. We discuss the fallout of over 150 stranded tankers rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope, and how the United States is stepping in with a $20 billion government-backed insurance facility and escorted naval convoys to secure energy transit through contested chokepoints.

Read the full analysis at The DeepDraft.