Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, has suspended the voyage of its ships in the Bab al-Mandab strait due to the threat posed by the rebels.
The Danish-owned Maersk Hangzhou cargo ship had to send a distress call twice within a day.
A ship sailing under the flag of Singapore was hit by a missile in the southern Red Sea on Saturday evening.
The same ship was targeted by Houthi rebels attacking from the sea on Sunday.
The gunmen on four speedboats tried to take over the ship that left Singapore. It is said that the Houthis only got within twenty meters of the Maersk ship.
US Navy helicopters sank the attackers’ three small boats. The crews were killed in the incident. A fourth Houthi boat fled the area.
Centcom, the headquarters of the US forces in the Middle East, reported on the X-message service. The Houthis also fired at helicopters. The ship’s security team had responded to the Houthi fire.
According to Centcom, the US Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely also intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at the cargo ship. Maersk Hangzhou was able to continue the journey with its own planes towards the north and the port at Suez.
Maersk keeps ships out of the Red Sea for two days
Bab al-Mandab strait is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Cargo ships head to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in the Red Sea. Up to 12 percent of the world’s shipping cargo passes through the strait.
Maersk announced on Sunday that its ships will stay out of the Red Sea for two days. Maersk ships returned to the Red Sea route only a couple of days ago. Other shipping companies are also considering other routes. At most, the ships have to go around to Europe via Hyväntoivonniemi, the southern tip of Africa.
The Houthi rebels have attacked merchant ships from the air and sea during November and December. According to the Houthis, the targets are ships that carry cargo or are, for example, connected to Israel through ownership relationships.
The Iran-backed Houthis want to support the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza with their actions. Rebels operating in Yemen have sent two hundred drones after two hundred drones to attack merchant ships in two months. This is reported by the British broadcasting company BBC, among others.
The United States gathers an alliance to protect merchant ships
In December, the United States launched the Prosperity Guardian operation to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea.
US warships have shot down several missiles aimed at Houthi ships. According to the United States, twenty countries are involved in the coalition it leads. However, other countries have been reluctant to commit their navies to securing Red Sea vessels.
The vice admiral interviewed by Uutistoimisto AP Brad Cooper says that since the start of the security operation, 1,200 vessels have passed through the Red Sea without problems. The attacks by the Houthis do not seem to end, but at the turn of the year, the Houthis have also started using small boats in their attacks.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron discussed today, Sunday, the foreign minister of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with. According to Cameron, Iran must “take responsibility and stop supporting the Houthis, whose attacks threaten innocent lives and the global economy.”
Reuters, AFP, AP