IRISL Returns to Europe with First Call in Hamburg

The 2003-built containership Azargoun, which called in Hamburg on March 17, has marked the reopening of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines’ (IRISL) regular liner service European Container Line (ECL)

The new loop between Northern Europe and ports in the Persian Gulf will feature the first calls of Iranian-flagged vessels in Europe since the UN and EU imposed their sanctions against IRISL in mid-2010.

The service will be operating with 2,500-TEU containerships, which will conduct calls at Hamburg and Antwerp, along with Genoa, Istanbul, Port Said and Bandar Abbas.

IRISL’s liner services will be represented in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands by the firm currently being jointly set up by Peter W. Lampke GmbH & Co. KG (PWL) and IRISL (Europe) GmbH, namely IRISL Agency (North) GmbH, based in Hamburg and with branches in Antwerp and Rotterdam.

IRISL, which owns some 170 vessels, will deploy ships with a capacity of 6,500 TEUs in its East Asia service. Additional liner services to SE Asia are run with ships of 2,200 to 2,500 TEUs.

IRISL also runs container services from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean as well as East Africa.