From Washington Post by Laris Karklis
This month at least six commercial ships traveling through the Red Sea have been subjected to drone and missile attacks as they approached the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The attacks have come from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who since 2014 have controlled a large portion of western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and coastal areas along the Red Sea.
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, on December 5, 2023
[Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
The attacks endanger ships traveling through this vital corridor from the Suez Canal through the Indian Ocean with cargo and energy shipments .
The Houthis have claimed that these attacks are aimed at ending the Israeli air and ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip and Hamas.
The Red Sea is defined by two narrow waterways: to the north, the Suez Canal, an Egyptian waterway; and to the south, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Red Sea is defined by two narrow waterways: to the north, the Suez Canal, an Egyptian waterway; and to the south, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The strait is only 20 miles wide and is bordered by Djibouti and Eritrea to the west and Yemen to the east.
Nearly 10 percent of all oil traded at sea passes through it, and an estimated $1 trillion in goods moves through the strait annually.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is the entryway to the Persian Gulf and is bordered by Iran and Oman, is roughly 30 miles wide, for comparison.
MarineTracker, a company that tracks global shipping, indicated that one of the ships reportedly attacked Friday, the MSC Palatium III, passed through the strait and upon being attacked turned around rather than continue north closer to the rebel-held coast.
Amidst the maritime chaos unfolding in the Red Sea, here is a simple graphic detailing recent incidents in Bab-el-Mandeb region, this visual encapsulates current challenges faced by one of the globe's busiest shipping routes
source @detresfa_
On Friday, one day after an aerial missile narrowly missed a Maersk ship, the Gibraltar, the Danish shipping company instructed all Maersk vessels bound to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to pause their journeys until further notice.
Another shipping company, the German-based Hapag-Lloyd, also suspended container traffic through Monday.
The US Navy Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Carney has been intercepting drones and missiles in the Bab al-Mandab Strait in recent months
[Reuters]
Maersk, posting on X, said that “the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety & lives of seafarers. …
Maersk, posting on X, said that “the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety & lives of seafarers. …
This issue cannot be addressed by the global shipping industry alone, and we urge the international society to come together to find a swift resolution to bring the situation under control.”
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in Tel Aviv on Friday that the United States is “building a coalition” and will take “every step” to deter the Houthi rebels from carrying out attacks in the Red Sea.
Links :
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in Tel Aviv on Friday that the United States is “building a coalition” and will take “every step” to deter the Houthi rebels from carrying out attacks in the Red Sea.
Links :
- GeoGarage blog : Israeli ships 'legitimate target', says Houthis as they release video showing capture of cargo ship
- The Guardian : US to announce expanded protection force for Red Sea shipping
- Ajazeera : Norwegian tanker attacked in Red Sea from Houthi-controlled Yemen
- Reuters : Red Sea attacks force rerouting of vessels, disrupting supply chains / Shipping stocks extend rally as Red Sea traffic paused
- Forbes : Attacks On Ships In Red Sea Could Be First Sign Of Next Supply Chain Crisis
- Bloomberg : Gulf Splits Hinder US Efforts to End Houthi Ship Attacks
- Business Insider : More big shipping companies suspend Red Sea operations as fears build over global supply chains amid increasing Houthi rebel attacks
- SPGlobal : Global trade at risk as shippers shun Red Sea over Houthis attacks
- MarineInsight : Major Shipping Firms To Avoid Suez Canal Route Due To Heightened Security Risks
- The Economist : A new Suez crisis threatens the world economy / Who are the Houthis, the group attacking ships in the Red Sea?
- Newsweek : Red Sea Map Shows Where Attacks on Vessels Have Taken Place
Safety4Sea : Red Sea detours to avoid attacks increase costs and emissions
ReplyDeleteSafety4Sea : How compromised security in the Red Sea area impacts shipping
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