Houthi rebels attack ships in Red Sea; US firefights drone attacks from Yemen
The global supply chains may face disruption if the Houthi attacks are not stopped in the Red Sea. The US is keen to get the allies on board to counter the threat posed by the Houthis in the Red Sea. But the deteriorating US-China relations also pose a risk for a global alliance on maritime security. It may be noted that China and Iran have close ties.
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, December 16: Israel’s bombing of Gaza in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks has largely been an affairs confined to the Middle East. But the situation now appears taking a global dimension as the important trade route through the Red Sea is now caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Palestine tension.
Two of the world’s largest shipping companies have decided to stop transits into the Red Sea. They took the decisions after the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels intensified vessel attacks this week. They set two more ships ablaze recently. The US naval assets are now countring the drone attackls launched by the Houthi rebels from Yemen. Israel also has deployed the naval ships in the Red Sea to counter attacks from the Houthis. The rebels have warned that they will attack all ships bound for Israel as revenge for the bombing of Gaza and the alleged killings of the civilians.
“This precarious informal balance of interests in the Middle East might be upset by the actions of a small but determined group: Yemen’s Houthis who endanger shipping through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean – a narrow passage that is the world’s third-largest choke point for oil shipments after the Straits of Hormuz and Malacca. More than six million barrels pass through it every day, mainly on their way to Europe,” reported Al Jazeera on the intensified episodes of attacks by Houthis on the ships in the Red Sea. .
Al Jazeera stated: “For an average ship travelling at 16 knots (30km/h), passing through Bab el-Mandeb and Suez takes nine days less than going around Africa. It is also cheaper: Maritime experts estimate that the shorter route saves at least 15 percent on transport.”
The Danish Maersk and German Hapag-Lloyd shippers placed temporary bans on their ships passing through the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. This part is now seen to have become a dangerous chokepoint.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare’e on Friday took responsibility for attacking the MSC Palatium III and the MSC Alanya ships. In a post on x, he wrote: “The two ships were targeted after their crews rejected to respond to calls from Yemeni naval forces as well as scorching warning signals. The Yemeni armed forces reassure all ships heading to all ports across the world, except for those that are heading to Israeli ports, that they would be safe and must keep the identifying device open. The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to target any ship that violates what was stated in its previous statements. The Yemeni Armed forces vowed to continue to prevent the navigation of vessels heading to Israel until enough food and medicine that our steadfast brothers are in need of in Gaza are allowed into the Strip.”
In fact, attacks on ships this week escalated as Houthi missile and drone strikes against commercial shipping in the Red Sea were seen in a large number. Professor Raja Menon who teaches strategic affairs said in a post on X: “Following two recent attacks on its vessels in the Bab Al-Mandab, Maersk, the Danish container shipping giant—it has close to 20% of the world’s capacity—has ordered its ships bound for the Red Sea’s southern approaches to stop. Not known how long the order will last.”
It appears that the global supply chains may face disruption if the Houthi attacks are not stopped in the Red Sea. The US is keen to get the allies on board to counter the threat posed by the Houthis in the Red Sea. But the deteriorating US-China relations also pose a risk for a global alliance on maritime security. It may be noted that China and Iran have close ties.
The Drive.com reported: “The US officials are discussing expanding the existing Task Force 153 which is an international effort focusing on international maritime security and capacity building efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.” It also stated that “as a result of attacks on the Maersk Gibraltar, the Danish Maersk shipping company told us today that it is instructing all its ships scheduled to pass through the Bab al-Mandab to pause their journey until further notice.”
The company said in a statement to The War Zone: “We are deeply concerned about the highly escalated security situation in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.”
The German Hapag-Lloyd company controls about seven per cent of the global container ship fleet. It will pause all container ship traffic through the Red Sea until Monday and decide for the period thereafter.
Subscribe: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCtqO0zMntVPOWPR_Jb3SUUw
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theraisinahills
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083062965583
website: https://theraisinahills.com/
Newsletter: https://raisinahills.substack.com/publish/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theraisinahills/
About The Author
