Iraq
Iraqi marine forces deployed in Iraqi waters near the southernmost Basra province, on April 24, 2026. Photo: General Company for Ports of Iraq/Facebook
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The two missing Bolivian-flagged ships did not enter Iraqi waters, Iraq’s national ports authority confirmed on Friday, adding that the relevant maritime departments had not received any distress calls either. The statement comes after the vessels disappeared overnight in the Gulf basin amid a sudden communications blackout.
The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) said in a statement that its “maritime departments have not received any distress calls from the two ships, Bridge 1 and Bridge 2, which are flying the Bolivian flag,” affirming that “the two vessels did not enter Iraqi waters.”
Moreover, the Company stated that “the specialized maritime departments, including the Marine Control Department and the Search and Rescue Center, have not received any communication or distress calls from the crews of the two ships, and no information is currently available regarding their present location.”
The GCPI noted, however, that it had “received communications from security authorities at several ports across the Arabian Gulf region, as well as from the owners of the two vessels, requesting any information related to the aforementioned ships.” Accordingly, it moved to mobilize all personnel in the Marine Control Department and the Search and Rescue Center within Iraqi territorial waters.
“Follow-up operations are ongoing through satellite-based electronic tracking systems and in coordination with search and rescue authorities in countries across the region,” the Company added, affirming that “any information or developments will be announced immediately upon receipt.”
The two commercial merchant vessels vanished within the Gulf basin overnight leading into Friday, following a sudden and complete communications blackout. Both ships operate under a Bolivian “flag of convenience,” a system in which a shipowner registers a vessel in a foreign country rather than its country of origin.
Bridge 1 and Bridge 2 completely disappeared from satellite monitoring networks without activating any emergency beacons or sending distress calls. This triggered an urgent response from shipowners and security agencies at multiple ports across the Gulf region, prompting coordinated search operations to analyze electronic tracking data and determine where the transponders went offline.
While the exact location and cause of the disappearance remain unknown, the incident comes amid heightened tensions and maritime restrictions in the region.
The US and Israel in late February launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran, striking thousands of targets across the country over six weeks of hostilities, before the warring sides agreed to a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire on April 8, halting fighting to allow space for talks.
While the first round of talks concluded without a final agreement on April 11, a second round has yet to take place, with a comprehensive resolution to the conflict still pending.
In parallel with the diplomatic efforts, Iran and the US have engaged in tit-for-tat maritime measures. Tehran has tightened its grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington imposed a maritime blockade on Iranian ports on April 13.
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