The Houthis said today they have no intention of stopping their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said today they have no intention of ending their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, despite the United States announcing a new alliance to protect shipping..
“Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the whole world, our military operations will not stop (…) whatever the sacrifices it will cost us,” a rebel official, Mohammed, assured via Platform X Al-Buhaiti.
Some container ships are at anchor in the Red Sea and others have disabled their tracking systems as they adjust routes and rates in response to sea attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on the main east-west trade route.
Attacks in recent days on ships in the Red Sea’s main shipping route have raised fears of another disruption to international trade after the difficulties caused by the COVID pandemic.
The Red Sea is connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, which creates the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. About 12% of the world’s shipping traffic passes through the canal.
Major shipping companies such as Hapag Lloyd ( HLAG.DE ), MSC and Maersk ( MAERSKb.CO ), oil major BP ( BP.L ) and oil tanker group Frontline ( FRO.OL) stated that they would avoid the Red Sea route and direct ships through South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
At the same time, the United States announced the launch of a multinational force to protect trade in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels forced at least a dozen shipping companies to suspend operations.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday that Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Seychelles and the UK would be among the countries to join the 10-nation “multinational security initiative”.
“Countries seeking to uphold the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation must unite to address the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” Austin said in a statement, describing the attacks as an issue that “demands collective action.”
The announcement comes after the US and UK navies said over the weekend that their destroyers shot down a total of 15 drones in the waterway.
Source :Skai
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
