The Houthis opened an unexpected front in the conflict relatively soon after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and subsequent Israeli military action. They have fired rockets at Israel and attacked ships in the Red Sea several times in recent weeks.
In response, the US forged a military security alliance for the region with international partners including Britain, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Operation “Guardian of Prosperity” aims to protect merchant ships from attacks by the pro-Iranian Shiite militia, which has de facto controlled much of Yemen since 2015.
Red Sea: Ship Protection Alliance
Against the backdrop of the Gaza war and increasing attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, the US, an ally of Israel, is forging a military security alliance for the region with European and other partners. Operation Prosperity Guardian aims to better protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Israel's archenemy Iran, the US Department of Defense said.
The initiative is just getting started and is expected to grow even stronger and add more countries and additional resources, National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said Tuesday. According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Germany is considering a request to participate.
More expensive shipping due to longer routes
Meanwhile, international media reports said on Tuesday that attacks in the Red Sea have become a serious risk to international shipping, with corresponding consequences for the global economy. Large shipping companies avoid the route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Portal/US Naval Forces Central Command The US, together with allies, wants to increase its presence off the coast of Yemen
Companies such as the British oil company BP and the world's largest shipping companies in the transport of coal, cereals and consumer goods, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Moller-Maersk, are in the red due to the risk of attacks on their ships, according to a report by the US economic news agency Bloomberg Sea, it makes long detours.
“Fragile” system
These deviations make shipping more expensive. Insurance premiums for ships in the Red Sea are also rising. The price of gas in Europe has increased by 13 percent since the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and that of Brent crude oil by almost four percent, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The risks to global supply chains could become significantly greater, it was said, referring to the blockage of the Suez Canal, the important trade link between Asia and Europe, two years ago: On March 21, 2021, The container ship “Ever Given” ran aground in the Suez Canal and blocked the route for six days.
APA/AFP/Maxar The “Ever Given” was at an angle and blocked the Suez Canal for days in 2021
The situation at that time showed “how fragile” networks were when a connection failed. Evergreen Marine, the “Ever Given” shipping company, recently announced that it would no longer accept Israeli cargo for the time being. Germany's largest shipping company, Hapag Lloyd, is rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa. The cargo ship “Al-Jasrah” was attacked in the Red Sea on December 15th.
“International challenge”
On Monday afternoon, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin announced the alliance for Operation Prosperity Guardian, calling it an “international challenge that requires collective action.” According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, a group of warships from the US 5th Fleet based in Bahrain will be reinforced.
APA/AFP/US Navy/Aaron Lau The “USS Carney in combat against drones and missiles in the Red Sea in early December
“We are pleased that governments around the world have responded promptly with joint efforts in international maritime security and capacity development in this area to find a solution,” Maersk said in a statement on Tuesday.
Important bottleneck in international transport
For now, they want to remain cautious: “At this point, however, it is difficult to determine the exact time” when the route will be safe to drive again. The Houthis' attacks on merchant ships such as the Norwegian oil tanker “M/T Swan Atlantic” threaten a commercial corridor through which, according to Bloomberg calculations, around twelve percent of maritime trade passes. The Suez Canal is particularly important for transporting oil.
Another failure in the Panama Canal
Additionally, another very important route is currently cancelled. The water level in the Panama Canal in Central America is at the lowest level in decades, large ships can only use it to a limited extent, they accumulate before entering the connection between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the Shipping companies are also now using much longer and therefore more expensive routes in South America.
IMAGO/imageBROKER/Diego Lezama The ebb in the Panama Canal is slowing down another important international shipping route
Significantly fewer ships than normal
According to Bloomberg, 56 merchant ships passed through the Red Sea over the weekend, 35% fewer than at the beginning of the month. BP said it was diverting tankers, as did French container shipping company CMA CGM, Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor, South Korea's HMM and, last but not least, number one world MSC. However, according to the VesselFinder website, which shows the position of ships, cargo ships from the aforementioned shipping companies were still in the Red Sea.
debate
How does October 7th change the Middle East?
Risk to global supply chains
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) condemned the attacks on merchant ships on Tuesday. “Attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea are unacceptable,” IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said in a statement.
IMO is a specialized UN agency with currently 175 member countries. It establishes globally binding rules for international maritime transport. “I once again call on Member States to work together to ensure safe maritime transport (…) everywhere,” said Kim. The Houthis announced on Tuesday that they would continue attacks on ships in the Red Sea.