Major shipping company Maersk suspends shipping in the Red Sea again due to Houthi attacks
The Singapore-flagged container ship apparently remained undamaged and was able to continue its journey, according to Maersk. The US forces in the region reported that naval helicopters had sunk three of the four Huthi boats. The fourth boat was able to escape. Previously, the US Central Command Centcom had already stated in online networks that a US destroyer had shot down two anti-ship missiles fired from Yemen after US warships tried to come to the aid of the "Hangzhou".
Maersk had already suspended the passage of ships through the Bab al-Mandab strait between Yemen and the African country of Djibouti in mid-December. Other shipping companies followed suit, including Germany's Hapag-Lloyd.
Since the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas began in early October, the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has fired drones and missiles at Israel several times and attacked ships in the Red Sea.
The missiles in connection with the attack on the"Hangzhou" were launched from an area controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, Centcom reported. Saturday's launch was the "23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping" since November 19.
The Red Sea is a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of world trade passes. Due to the wave of Houthi attacks on container ships, several shipping companies are now avoiding sailing through the strait near Yemen, leading to delays and increased freight costs due to the long detours. In order to protect merchant shipping, the USA announced the formation of an international military coalition to secure shipping in the Red Sea a few days before Christmas.
The Houthi see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed "Axis of Resistance" directed against Israel. In addition to Hamas, this also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Read also:
- This will change in December
- Attacks on ships in the Red Sea: shipping companies avoid important trade route
- Houthi rebels want to launch further attacks despite international coalition
- USA forms military coalition against Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea
Source: www.stern.de
