Cargo Ship Runs Aground in US, a Year after Sister Vessel Blocked Suez Canal

The Ever Forward (pictured) has the same owners as the Ever Given, which clogged up the Suez Canal last year. (EPA)
The Ever Forward (pictured) has the same owners as the Ever Given, which clogged up the Suez Canal last year. (EPA)
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Cargo Ship Runs Aground in US, a Year after Sister Vessel Blocked Suez Canal

The Ever Forward (pictured) has the same owners as the Ever Given, which clogged up the Suez Canal last year. (EPA)
The Ever Forward (pictured) has the same owners as the Ever Given, which clogged up the Suez Canal last year. (EPA)

The Ever Forward container ship is currently grounded in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore, according to the US Coast Guard, nearly a year after another ship run by the same company blocked the Suez Canal for six days.

The container ship is operated by Evergreen Marine Corp Taiwan Ltd, the same Taiwanese transportation company that operates the Ever Given. The Ever Given ran aground last March, blocking traffic in the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Coast Guard received reports on Sunday that the Ever Forward was grounded and is now conducting checks every four hours to ensure the safety of the crew on board and marine life, according to Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Centeno.

The Coast Guard says the ship is grounded outside of the canal and is not blocking the traffic of other container ships.

Evergreen Marine said in an emailed statement that the incident had not caused a fuel leakage, and did not block the navigation channel or disrupt traffic entering or leaving the port.

"Evergreen is arranging for divers to conduct underwater inspections to confirm any damage to the vessel, and is coordinating with all the concerned parties to refloat the ship as soon as possible," it said.

"The cause of the incident is under investigation by the competent authority."



Iran Agrees to Fourth Round of Indirect Nuclear Talks with US on Sunday

An Iranian woman walks next to a wall painting on a street in Tehran, Iran, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks next to a wall painting on a street in Tehran, Iran, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
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Iran Agrees to Fourth Round of Indirect Nuclear Talks with US on Sunday

An Iranian woman walks next to a wall painting on a street in Tehran, Iran, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks next to a wall painting on a street in Tehran, Iran, 07 May 2025. (EPA)

Iran has agreed to hold a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States on Sunday in Oman, the semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported on Friday, citing a member of the Iranian team.

The fourth round of negotiations, initially scheduled for May 3 in Rome, was postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons".

"Following a proposal by the Omani foreign minister to hold the fourth round of talks on Sunday, Tehran has announced its agreement," Tasnim quoted the unnamed member of Iran's delegation as saying. "The fourth round of Iran-US talks in Oman has been finalized."

US President Donald Trump, who withdrew the US from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, has threatened to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached with his administration to resolve the long-standing dispute.

Western countries say Iran's nuclear program is geared toward producing weapons, whereas Iran insists it is purely for civilian purposes.