Following Houthi Attacks on Commercial Ships, Maersk Halts Operations in the Red Sea

A spokesperson for the Danish shipping company Maersk said on Friday that the company will suspend all container shipping operations through the Red Sea until further notice. This decision was made following recent attacks by the Houthis on Maersk ships in the region. According to Reuters, following an incident that occurred yesterday involving one of Maersk's ships and today's attack on a container ship, Maersk issued a notice to all its vessels in the area intending to pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, instructing them to halt their journeys until further notice. Earlier on Thursday, Maersk announced that its ship 'Maersk Gibraltar' was targeted by a missile attack while sailing from the port of Salalah, Oman to the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but the ship and its crew were unharmed. The company also rejected claims made by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Friday. The Houthis had claimed to have conducted a military operation against a Maersk container ship, directly attacking it with a drone. Maersk stated that it is extremely concerned about the severe security situation in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, adding, 'Recent attacks on commercial vessels in this area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.' Hours earlier, a U.S. defense official told Reuters that the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked two Liberia-flagged ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, December 15. According to this official, a projectile believed to be a drone struck the 'Al-Jasrah' ship, owned by a German company, causing a fire but no damage. The official added, 'In the second attack, two ballistic missiles were fired, one of which hit a ship and caused a fire that the crew attempted to extinguish.' This official did not name the ship but mentioned that a U.S. Navy destroyer was on its way to assist the vessel. According to Reuters, no one has claimed responsibility for these attacks. However, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for missile attacks on several ships in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthi missile attack in the Red Sea; a Liberia-flagged ship caught fire. The Houthi missile attack on a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. An American official: Washington is seeking to form the 'widest' possible naval coalition to counter Houthi attacks. An American warship shot down Houthi drones. Two missiles were fired at an oil tanker in the Red Sea from territory controlled by the Houthis. An attack on a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker near Yemen continues the expansion of Houthi attacks. Houthi threats backed by Iran: We will target all ships heading to Israel.