Lt. Gen. Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, announced on Thursday, March 25, 2021, that traffic through the Suez Canal had been suspended indefinitely. On Tuesday, the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, ran aground, blocking the canal -- which connects the Mediterranean and Red seas -- and stranding more than 150 vessels needing to transit the vital commercial passageway. Floatation efforts are currently underway, which involves towing and pushing the grounded vessel using eight large tugboats, the largest of which is BARAKA 1 with a towing power of 160 tons. Photo via Suez Canal Authority/UPI