The Danish shipping company Maersk is considering reusing this route soon, taking into account the measures announced to secure maritime routes in the Red Sea. Recently, several shipping companies declared that they would stop using the shipping route due to attacks on merchant ships by Houthi rebels in Yemen, but would instead make thousands of kilometers of detours.
Maersk has received confirmation that the multinational security initiative (OPG) is now coming into effect, the company announced yesterday. The OPG is expected to allow maritime trade through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the Suez Canal should once again be used as a gateway between Asia and Europe.
Maersk is now preparing to allow ships to transit the Red Sea again, both east and west. Depending on the evolution of the security situation, maritime traffic may also be rerouted again.
The US announced on Tuesday that it would launch a multinational initiative to protect trade in the Red Sea from the Iranian-backed Houthis. The Houthis recently fired drones and rockets at ships and described it as a response to Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. Maersk and other shipping companies then announced that they would reroute ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.