After Houthi attack
Shipping company Maersk suspends trips in the Red Sea
The incident is to be investigated following attacks on a cargo ship belonging to the Maersk shipping company. photo
© Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa
There were two attacks by the Houthi rebels on a container ship belonging to the Danish shipping company. Maersk Line is now suspending shipping in the Red Sea.
After two attacks on a container ship belonging to the Danish shipping company Maersk Line in The Red Sea company has suspended trips through the affected area. All transit routes should be suspended for 48 hours to investigate the incident and assess the security situation, the company said at the request of the German Press Agency.
Maersk confirmed that the Maersk Hangzhou ship was struck by an object on Saturday evening after passing north through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The ship was initially able to continue on its course. However, four boats later approached the ship, opened fire and attempted to get onto the cargo ship. The attack was successfully repelled with the help of a military helicopter and the ship’s security team, the statement continued. The crew was reportedly safe, the company stressed.
The US military had previously reported the incident and blamed pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen for the attack. US helicopters sank three of the four attacking boats, according to a statement from the responsible US regional command on Platform X, formerly Twitter. Their crew was killed. The fourth boat fled. There was no damage or injuries on the US side.
David Cameron: Iran should help prevent Houthi attacks
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron sees Iran as having a duty to help stop attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. He made this clear during a conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amirabdollahian, wrote Cameron on the short message service X (formerly Twitter). The background is that Iran has been supporting the Houthis for a long time.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked Israel with drones and missiles. Most recently, they have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea – one of the most important shipping routes for world trade, which connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.