FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE
13A-16 OR 15D-16
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of October 2026
Commission File Number: 001-32458
DIANA SHIPPING INC.
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Pendelis 16, 175 64 Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [X] Form 40-F [ ]
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
Attached to this Report on Form 6-K as Exhibit 99.1
is a press release dated October 8, 2026, of Diana Shipping Inc. (the "Company"), announcing that, through a separate wholly-owned
subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Classic Maritime Inc., for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v
G. P. Zafirakis.
The information contained in this Report on Form 6-K
is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company's registration statements on Form F-3 (File Nos. 333-266999 and 333-280693) that
were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on September 16, 2022, and September 9, 2024, respectively.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
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DIANA SHIPPING INC. |
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(registrant) |
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| Dated: October 8, 2026 |
By: |
/s/ Margarita Veniou |
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Margarita Veniou |
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Secretary |
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Corporate Contact: |
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Margarita Veniou |
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Chief Corporate Development, Governance & Communications Officer and Secretary |
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Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100 |
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Email: mveniou@dianashippinginc.com |
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Website: www.dianashippinginc.com |
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X: @Dianaship |
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Investor Relations/Media Contact: |
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Nicolas Bornozis / Daniela Guerrero |
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Capital Link, Inc. |
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230 Park Avenue, Suite 1540 |
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New York, N.Y. 10169 |
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Tel.: (212) 661-7566 |
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Email: diana@capitallink.com |
DIANA SHIPPING INC. ANNOUNCES TIME CHARTER
CONTRACT FOR M/V G. P. ZAFIRAKIS WITH CLASSIC MARITIME
ATHENS, GREECE, October 8, 2026 – Diana Shipping
Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry
bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Classic
Maritime Inc., for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v G. P. Zafirakis. The gross charter rate is US$38,000 per day, minus a
5.00% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum October 1, 2027 up to maximum December 15, 2027. The charter is expected
to commence on October 10, 2026. The m/v G. P. Zafirakis is currently chartered, as previously announced, to Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha,
Tokyo, at a gross charter rate of US$26,800 per day, minus a 5.00% commission paid to third parties.
The “G. P. Zafirakis” is a 179,492 dwt
Capesize dry bulk vessel built in 2014.
The employment of “G. P. Zafirakis” is
anticipated to generate a total of approximately US$13.34 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.
Diana Shipping Inc.’s fleet currently consists
of 36 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 8 Capesize, 4 Post-Panamax, 6 Kamsarmax, 5 Panamax and 9 Ultramax). The Company also expects to
take delivery of two methanol dual fuel new-building Kamsarmax dry bulk vessels by the second half of 2027 and the first half of 2028,
respectively. As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Company’s fleet, excluding the two vessels not yet delivered, is
approximately 4.1 million dwt, with a weighted average age of 12.87 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can
be found on the Company’s website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Company’s website does not constitute
part of this press release.
About the Company
Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping
transportation services through its ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels. The Company’s vessels are employed primarily
on short to medium-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and
other materials along worldwide shipping routes.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute
forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking
statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include
statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements,
which are other than statements of historical facts.
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with
this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,”
“forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,”
“pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this press release
are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company
management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company’s records and other data available
from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently
subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company’s
control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.
In addition to these important factors, other important
factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking
statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates
and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker
prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes
in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, tariff policies and other trade restrictions, potential
liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including risks associated with
the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or
political events, including the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other
factors. Please see the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these
and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make
any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
