Attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea are increasing. Now the Danish shipping company Maersk wants to stop its container traffic in the area for the time being. The German company Hapag-Lloyd also announced a transport stop.
The Danish shipping company AP Moller-Maersk wants to stop its container transport through the Red Sea until further notice. “Following the incident with the ‘Maersk Gibraltar’ yesterday and another attack on a container ship today, we have ordered all Maersk vessels in the area scheduled to transit the Bab al-Mandab Strait to suspend their sailing until further notice “, said a company spokesman.
The “Maersk Gibraltar” was attacked by a missile while traveling from Salalah (Oman) to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Nobody was injured. The Houthi militia in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack. The Shiite Islamists declared that they had carried out a “military operation” against the ship.
Hapag-Lloyd is also suspending trips
The German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has also decided to stop container traffic through the Red Sea. A company spokesman told the dpa news agency that a decision on the situation would be made again on Monday. Previously, a container freighter owned by the shipping company was shot at on Bab al-Mandab Street.
According to the company, the “Al Jasrah” was damaged in the attack in the strait between Yemen and Djibouti and there were no injuries. Hapag-Lloyd will take additional measures to ensure the safety of crews, it said. The “Al Jasrah” sails under the Liberian flag.
According to the information, the freighter had sailed from Piraeus in Greece through the Suez Canal and was heading towards Singapore. “There is material damage on board, the crew is unharmed,” said the spokesman for the Hamburg company. The ship could continue its journey. According to media reports, there was a fire on board after the shelling. The spokesman was initially unable to provide any information about the origin of the shelling.
Baerbock condemns attacks
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned the attack on “Al Jasrah”. “The Houthis’ attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea must stop immediately,” she said in Berlin. In addition, sailors captured by pirates must be released “immediately and unharmed.” Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have increased recently. The Houthi rebels in Yemen had announced that they would attack ships linked to Israel in solidarity with Hamas, which is also supported by Iran. Only freighters delivering aid to the Gaza Strip would be granted passage. All others would become “legitimate targets for our armed forces,” it said.
Due to the attacks, German shipowners demanded protective measures from the federal government and the EU. With over 1,800 ships, the German merchant fleet is the seventh largest among the world’s major merchant fleets.
USA is working on a coalition against attacks
According to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the United States is working with the international community, regional partners and around the world to find solutions to address the threat. “We are forming a coalition,” he said at a press conference. The Houthis therefore pose a significant threat to freedom of navigation, commercial shipping and legitimate trade along a vital artery on the Bab al-Mandeb and the Red Sea. Iran, as the mastermind behind the Houthi attacks, is responsible for taking measures to stop the attacks, said Sullivan.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense previously announced that the federal government was examining a US request for a naval deployment. A few days ago, the USA made a request to the German Navy as to whether it would be able to provide support in the Red Sea, “without any specific demands being made.” This request is currently being examined “and will certainly be discussed with all the necessary responsible authorities in the government,” the spokesman continued.
Houthis claim to have attacked more ships
Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels claimed two more attacks. Two container ships were attacked again in the Red Sea, it said in a statement. The ships are said to have been on their way to Israel. The crews of the ships therefore ignored warnings. The Houthis then attacked them with two rockets. These are said to have been the ships “MSC Alanya” and “MSC Platinum III”. It remained unclear when the attacks were said to have taken place.