Greek shipping risk no longer begins and ends onboard in Marine Insurance P&I Club News 22/05/2026 Greek shipowners are increasingly having to make complex risk decisions before a vessel even leaves port, as geopolitical volatility, sanctions exposure and shifting trade patterns play a growing role in how a voyage unfolds, according to The Swedish Club. For owners, the risk picture now stretches well beyond seaworthiness, cargo handling and onboard operations. Route selection, counterparties, regional instability and sudden changes in access to key waterways can all materially alter a vessel’s exposure, with knock-on effects for crew safety, cargo integrity, delays, pollution risk and claims handling. Today’s geopolitical environment has brought this shift into sharp focus. The situation in the Middle East is now heavily defined by tensions around Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz subject to heightened military activity, vessel attacks and disruption to commercial traffic. Thomas Nordberg, Managing Director at The Swedish Club. This is no longer a question of isolated regional instability. The interconnected nature of global trade means that disruption in one chokepoint, whether Hormuz, the Red Sea or Suez, quickly cascades across supply chains, freight markets and operational planning. Geopolitics is no longer a background condition; it is now a primary driver of maritime risk. Ludvig Nyhlén, Regional Executive Director, Team Greece, The Swedish Club Greece, said: “Risk today is far less predictable than it used to be. Owners are not just managing the ship – they are constantly reassessing the environment around it. Decisions taken before a voyage, such as routing or counterparties, can now have as much impact on exposure as what happens onboard.” This shift has become more pronounced in the years since the pandemic. During that period, owners were managing disruption, restricted crew changes and sustained operational pressure while still keeping vessels trading.