Shipowners expect protection from the German Navy
The Houthi rebels attack a container freighter belonging to the Hamburg shipping company Hapag-Lloyd in the Red Sea. Alongside FDP politician Strack-Zimmermann, the shipowners' association also calls for protection by the German Navy. Meanwhile, a British warship fends off another drone attack.
Following the attack on a container freighter belonging to Hamburg-based shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, the German Shipowners' Association has called for an international military alliance to protect civilian shipping in the Red Sea. "It would be appropriate if Germany were to participate accordingly," said the managing director of the shipowners' association, Martin Kröger, on Bayerischer Rundfunk radio. The USA, France and England are already present in the region with naval vessels.
It is not just about protecting merchant ships, but also seafarers: "If you imagine that you are standing on a ship and you are being shot at with missiles and drones and cruise missiles, that is of course an escalation of violence that we have never seen before with merchant shipping and that is simply completely unacceptable," said Kröger. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chairwoman of the Bundestag's Defense Committee, had previously advocated the possible involvement of the German Navy in protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Kröger referred to the experience of protecting cargo ships against pirates in the Horn of Africa. "One of the most effective means was convoy trips, where naval vessels accompany merchant ships." These have the necessary weapons on board to fend off drone and missile attacks, explained the head of the shipowners' association. The container freighter "Al Jasrah" was shot at and damaged in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti on Friday. According to the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, the ship was on its way from the Greek port of Piraeus through the Suez Canal to Singapore. Hapag-Lloyd has suspended shipping traffic through the Red Sea until Monday.
British warship shoots down drone
According to Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, a British warship has shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea. The aircraft had been targeting merchant shipping, Shapps wrote on the short message service X. The destroyer "HMS Diamond" fired a Sea Viper missile and destroyed the target. The UK will continue to fend off the attacks and protect free world trade. Shapps did not initially provide any further details, such as the origin of the drone.
Recently, several merchant ships in the Red Sea were attacked by Shiite Huthi rebels in Yemen. They are threatening to prevent ships of any nationality on their way to Israel from passing through the Red Sea. The shipping companies Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have therefore decided not to allow any more ships to sail through the Suez Canal for the time being.
In addition to the "HMS Diamond", the British Navy also has the frigate "HMS Lancaster", three minesweepers and an auxiliary vessel deployed in the region. They are intended to protect civilian shipping and prevent an escalation of the Gaza war.
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The Houthi rebels, originating from Yemen, have previously targeted merchant ships in the Red Sea, including a container freighter from Hapag-Lloyd, a German shipping company. This attack prompted calls for protection by the German Navy, alongside political figure Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. Moeller-Maersk, a rival shipping company, has also been affected by the unrest in the region, choosing to halt shipping traffic through the Suez Canal temporarily.
Source: www.ntv.de
