Escalating maritime crisis: Global shipping threatened by Houthi attacks

Shafaq News / The Israeli Channel 12 revealed in a report that the oil tanker "MV Chem Pluto", attacked between Friday and Saturday not far from the coasts of India, was struck by a drone launched from Iran, according to Israeli estimations.

Unusually different from recent attacks, this assault occurred away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait region and was not executed by the Houthis, as described by the Israeli channel.

Targeting an Israeli ship near India

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) previously reported an attack on a vessel using a drone that caused an explosion onboard, approximately 200 nautical miles from the city of Raval in India, a relatively long distance from the usual Houthi attacks. It is now apparent that the targeted drone was launched directly from Iran.

According to the British maritime security company, "Embery", the attacked vessel is linked to Israel and carries the Liberian flag. Reports indicated that the fire, which erupted aboard the ship, was extinguished.

The Indian Navy stated that a coast guard ship assisted the MV Chem Pluto, owned by the Indian shipping company Macsons, after it was struck by a drone. None of the vessel's crew of 20, all Indian nationals, were injured. However, the ship sustained damage, rendering it unfit for navigation. The vessel was carrying an oil cargo from a port in Saudi Arabia to the port of Mangalore in India.

The Wall Street Journal previously published a report about an Iranian intelligence ship aiding Houthi forces in targeting. The Israeli channel indicated that the incident overnight is a direct continuation of Iranian Houthi efforts, aiming to disrupt global navigation routes, potentially leading to a worldwide crisis in trade, economic inflation, and more.

Simultaneously, a senior member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard stated on Saturday that the Mediterranean Sea might be closed if the United States and its allies persist in committing "crimes" in Gaza, without specifying how this would occur.

The Tasnim News Agency quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, assistant coordinator of the Revolutionary Guard's commander, saying: "They should soon expect the Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar to be closed, as well as other waterways."

Ships avoid Red Sea due to Houthi threats

In a related context, the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced on Thursday its decision to join other firms in avoiding the Red Sea following attacks by the Yemeni Houthi group on merchant ships. These attacks have disrupted global trade and prompted maritime adjustments involving several countries.

Hapag-Lloyd clarified that it intends to reroute 25 vessels by the year's end to avoid navigating through the Red Sea. The surge in maritime shipping costs and growing cargo inventories due to the turmoil prompted this decision. Avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal means significantly longer routes for ships, involving circumnavigation around the African continent.

The Houthis, aligned with Iran and controlling most of Yemen's territories, have been launching attacks for weeks on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the southern Red Sea. They claim this is a response to Israel's war on Gaza.

Simultaneously, traders are scrambling to find alternative shipping routes to deliver goods to retail stores. The use of the Cape of Good Hope route adds approximately an extra 10 days to the journey.

Shipping crisis due to Houthis

Analysts warn that delayed shipments may lead to depletion of some store inventories by February.

The Communications Director of Finland's KONE Elevator Company explained that the company anticipates possible delays of two to three weeks for certain shipments, yet expects the majority of orders to arrive on schedule.

Greece announced on Thursday that it would deploy a frigate to the region to safeguard navigation within a multinational alliance declared by the United States to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Red Sea.

Greek ship owners control roughly 20% of the world's commercial ships in terms of cargo capacity. Several countries indicated joining the alliance announced by the United States, though it is not expected to send a large naval force to the region, and Saudi Arabia's name was not listed among the participants.

The Houthi leader threatened to escalate attacks to include American naval vessels, raising expectations for an expanded conflict in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

A spokesperson for Hapag-Lloyd stated that the company's vessel, Bridge, was attacked near Yemen on December 15th while en route to Singapore. The company plans to make further decisions regarding shipping routes by the year-end.

The spokesperson noted that the company has not yet received detailed information about the naval force alliance the United States aims to establish for safeguarding navigation in the Red Sea.