Iraq’s national shipping company is returning to regular container services in the Gulf for the first time in more than half a century.
State-owned Iraqi Maritime Line is launching a container service between Jebel Ali in the UAE and Umm Qasr in Iraq, the country’s main container port.
The service will be operated by the 902-TEU container ship Basrah.
According to industry reports citing Alphaliner, the vessel will operate a regular eight-day shuttle service between the two ports.
The service will provide a direct maritime connection between Jebel Ali and Umm Qasr, with the sea passage between the ports taking around two days.
Iraq’s Ministry of Transport has described the launch as the first regular Gulf operation by the national carrier since the mid-1960s.
The return of Iraqi Maritime Line to container shipping is expected to strengthen the presence of the national fleet on regional routes and provide importers with an additional option for moving cargo into the country.
The new service is particularly significant amid major changes to Iraqi logistics in 2026.
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to shipping have forced carriers to look for alternative routes for containerised cargo.
A growing share of cargo has been redirected through the Jordanian port of Aqaba on the Red Sea, from where containers are moved by road through the Trebil border crossing into Iraq.
According to the Jordan Shipping Association, 37,182 transit containers destined for Iraq passed through Aqaba during the first seven months of 2026, compared with only 3,599 during the same period a year earlier.
That represents an increase of more than tenfold.
Major international carriers have also introduced alternative logistics solutions.
Maersk launched overland routes between Aqaba and Iraq, while CMA CGM introduced alternative services through Aqaba for southern Iraq and through the Turkish port of Mersin for northern regions.
Multimodal routes via Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE are also being used.
However, the new Jebel Ali–Umm Qasr service will still require transit through the Strait of Hormuz, meaning it does not replace alternative land routes but rather complements them.
For Iraq, the launch of its own regular container service also carries strategic importance.
Umm Qasr is the country’s main maritime container gateway and plays a key role in handling imports of food, consumer goods and industrial products.
The return of Iraqi Maritime Line to a regular Gulf service is also expected to increase cargo volumes moving through national ports and gradually strengthen Iraq’s own merchant fleet within regional supply chains.
After more than 50 years, the return of the national carrier to the Jebel Ali–Umm Qasr route marks a significant step in rebuilding Iraq’s commercial shipping presence and its role in Gulf container trade.
