Two major international shipping companies have elected to send their cargo ships the long way around Africa rather than risk being attacked by Islamist Houthi rebel forces while trying to transit the Red Sea.
The Denmark-headquartered Maersk and Germany-headquartered Hapag-Lloyd shipping companies both halted their traffic through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden the past week after their ships were attacked near Yemen, where the Houthi rebels are active.
In an emailed statement to NTD News on Dec. 18, a Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson said the rerouting would continue “until the passage through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea will be safe again for vessels and their crews.”
The Suez Canal and the Red Sea provide a relatively short route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. But commercial ships have been targeted by drones, armed speedboats, and missiles, and even hijacked by Houthi rebels.
Rerouted vessels will have to pass by the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the continent to get to destinations on either side of the Red Sea.
In another emailed statement to NTD News on Dec. 19, Maersk announced that several of its ships would also take the longer route.
“Due to the highly escalated security situation, on Friday 15 December 2023, Maersk announced a pause for all its vessels bound for the area. This decision was taken to ensure the safety of our crews, vessels, and customers’ cargo onboard,” a Maersk spokesperson wrote.
“Having monitored developments closely, Maersk has decided that out of safety reasons all vessels previously paused and due to sail through the region will now be re-routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
“They will continue their voyages on the diverted routes as soon as operationally feasible. Impacted customers will be informed directly with further details.”
The Maersk spokesperson said that about 20 ships had paused their planned Red Sea transits on Dec. 15. About half were waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest were just south of the Suez Canal in the Red Sea or just north of the Suez in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Maersk spokesperson said the shipping company will make a case-by-case assessment for future shipments through the Red Sea “to determine whether adjustments need to be made—including diversions via the Cape of Good Hope and further contingency measures.”
The recent attacks began after the start of the Israel–Hamas war on Oct. 7. Houthis, acting in tandem with the Hamas terrorist group, both of which are backed by Iran, have launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and have said they will continue to attack merchant ships they assess to be affiliated with Israel.
US Announces New Red Sea Operation
On Dec. 18, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced a new security initiative organized under the auspices of the existing multinational Combined Maritime Forces. It will focus on ensuring freedom of navigation for shipping through the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The initiative has been dubbed “Operation Prosperity Guardian.”
“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” Mr. Austin said.
Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, the Seychelles, and Spain would be joining the United States in this operation to jointly address security concerns along the crucial international shipping route, Mr. Austin said.
“We are pleased to see global governments reacting promptly with joint efforts on international maritime security and capacity building in the area to bring forward a solution enabling a return to transit the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area and the Suez Canal in the near future,” the Maersk spokesperson said on Dec. 19.
“However, at this time it remains difficult to determine exactly when this will be. Meanwhile, routing vessels via the Cape of Good Hope will ultimately deliver faster and more predictable outcomes for our customers and their supply chains.”
Prior to the launch of “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” U.S. warships had responded to distress calls of merchant ships being targeted near Yemen and had shot down suspicious drones. But U.S. forces have not conducted direct strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.
The Houthis are a Zaydi Shiite movement that has intermittently fought with Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2004.
Their conflict expanded after the Houthis forcefully took over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in September 2014, bringing on a civil war that has seen Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states intervene on behalf of the Yemeni government.
The United States has supported the Saudi-led coalition throughout the conflict, and the U.S. State Department assesses that Iran is supporting the Houthi side in the conflict.
Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned this week that any U.S.-led Red Sea task force in the region “will be faced with extraordinary problems,” according to Reuters.