Houthis attack cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

According to Reuters, Houthis have hit and damaged a Singapore-flagged container ship with two missiles on Friday as they escalate attacks on global shipping over Israel's war in Gaza.

The overnight assault on the Lobivia cargo ship came as Houthis also claimed responsibility for a fiery, long-range aerial drone strike in the center of Tel Aviv that killed one man and wounded four others.

The Houthis in recent weeks have become more adept at inflicting damage on their targets. In June, they struck the Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat, causing it to sink.

"Their capacity, their access to more sophisticated weapons, has only increased over the course of this conflict," said Gerald Feierstein, director of the Arabian Peninsula Affairs Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree in a television speech on Friday said the group launched the Lobivia strikes, adding that the assault also included drones. The manager of Lobivia did not immediately comment.

Lobivia was in the Gulf of Aden when the missiles struck two areas on its port side, the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in an incident report.

The ship was located 83 nautical miles southeast of Yemen's port city of Aden during the attack. All crew are reported safe and the ship was returning to its last port of call, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

"The ship was transiting northeast along the Gulf of Aden when a merchant vessel in the vicinity observed 'light and blast' where the ship was located," British security firm Ambrey said.

The ship appeared to perform evasive manoeuvres immediately and switch off her automatic identification system approximately an hour later, Ambrey said.

On Tuesday, the Houthis hit the Liberia-flagged oil tanker Chios Lion with a drone boat, causing damage to the port side that left an oily trail that experts said appeared to be fuel.

Britain and the US have conducted retaliatory strikes since February, shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

That has come at a significant cost, said Feierstein, who was the US Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen from 2010 to 2013 under President Barack Obama.

"We're basically spending a million dollars every time we shoot down a Radio Shack drone. That's wearing on the Navy and wearing on our supplies," he said.

 

Houthis target more vessels in retaliation

According to Reuters, Yemen's Houthis targeted three vessels, including an oil tanker, in the Red and Mediterranean seas with ballistic missiles, drones and booby-trapped boats.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the latest Houthi military operations were a response to the Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on Saturday, an attack that killed at least 90 Palestinians and wounded 300 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

In dozens of attacks since November 2023, the Houthis have sunk two vessels and seized another, killed at least three sailors and upended global trade by forcing ship owners to avoid the popular Suez Canal trade shortcut.

It recently has become more effective at damaging ships largely through using unmanned, armed watercraft that damage a vessel's vulnerable waterline.

In a televised speech, Saree said the Houthis have targeted the Bentley I refined products carrier and the Chios Lion oil tanker in the Red Sea.

US Central Command late on Monday confirmed those attacks and said no damage or injuries had been reported.

The Houthis said it also joined the Iraqi Islamic Resistance in targeting the Olvia in the Mediterranean Sea. Reuters could not independently verify that attack.

Managers of the Panama-flagged Bentley I, Liberia-flagged Chios Lion and Cyprus-flagged Olvia could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that two vessels came under attack in the Red Sea off Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, with one ship reporting it had sustained some damage.

A vessel 97 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah was attacked by an uncrewed drone boat that hit its port side, causing some damage and light smoke.

Another merchant vessel, 70 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, came under attack by three small watercraft, UKMTO and security firm Ambrey said separately.

The Master of that ship reported being attacked by three small craft. One of those watercraft was unmanned and twice collided with the ship as passengers on the other two boats fired on the ship. The vessel conducted "self-protection measures" and after 15 minutes the small craft aborted the attack, UKMTO said.

Later in what appeared to be two separate attacks, the Master reported four projectiles exploding near the vessel.

Both the vessel and crew were reported as safe and proceeding to the next port of call, Ambrey said.

Since November 2023, Houthi militants in Yemen have launched drone and missile strikes in shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The group says these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians affected by Israel's war in Gaza.

US and British have conducted retaliatory strikes since February - shooting down drones and bombing attack sites in Yemen.

At least 65 countries and major energy and shipping companies have been affected by Houthi attacks, according to a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

The world must help Israel stop Iran and its proxies, not appease them

President elect of Iran, has outlined his policy in an open letter to the world leaders. Pressure is building on Israel to stop genocide in Gaza and the United States is also openly asked to stop supply of lethal arms to Israel. Under the prevailing circumstances Israel’s daily The Jerusalem Post has written an anti-Iran editorial prove that Iran and its proxies are real threat for Israel and the world.

Following is the text of the Editorial:

As the war against Hamas rages on and attempts are made to reach a new hostage deal, we should never forget who the primary sponsor of terror against Israel is – Iran. Its proxies include “the 3H” – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

We should also not turn a blind eye to the fact that Iran is edging closer and closer to becoming a nuclear power, which could pose an existential threat to Israel. This cannot be allowed.

After the latest NATO Summit in Washington, Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted Thursday on X that one of the main topics discussed by the foreign ministers attending the summit – including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – was the need to increase pressure on Tehran.

“Israel, NATO, and the entire world share a common enemy – the Iranian regime,” Katz wrote. “We must stop Iran now before it’s too late.”

No one seems to know the status of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, including the United States. On Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham wrote a letter to Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, accusing the administration of being in violation of the law by failing to report to Congress, as required by legislation Graham himself drafted every six months about Iran’s nuclear progress.

In the letter, Graham notes that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently censured Iran for failing to cooperate with it and escalating its uranium enrichment up to 60% purity in May. This, he says, is only “a small technical step away from weapons-grade 90% purity” and brings Iran that much closer to building a nuclear bomb.

In response, White House national security spokesperson James Kirby said on Thursday that President Joe Biden remained committed to making sure that Tehran would never develop nuclear weapons but denied a claim by Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, that the US and Iran were holding indirect nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman.

“No active negotiations are going on right now with respect to Iran’s nuclear ambitions,’ Kirby said. “I won’t speak or can’t speak to channels of communication with Iran one way or the other, but there are no active negotiations going to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.”

Kirby made it clear last Monday that the US would not resume nuclear talks with new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, citing Tehran’s support of terrorism as a significant obstacle.

According to IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi, Iran has exceeded uranium enrichment limits and is now “weeks, not months,” away from having enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon.

Iran's looming threat

Stopping a nuclear Iran, which has always been a top priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will surely be high on the agenda of his visit to Washington later this month when he is due to address a special joint session of Congress.

But Israel and the US cannot deal with the Islamic Republic alone. An international alliance is necessary to curb the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, led by the United Nations via bodies such as the IAEA and NATO. It must also enlist the support of the European Union and key players in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia.

Besides closer supervision of Iran’s nuclear program, the international community must enforce tighter economic sanctions against Tehran.

Ways must be found to stop it from funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. And its funding of anti-Israel protests in the US, as Haines warned last week, must be thwarted. But this is not enough. Only decisive action will show Iran that it cannot get away with terrorism.

“Candidate objectives to be attacked should include Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps installations, Iranian naval assets, critical energy infrastructure, and even nuclear weapons development facilities with strike packages that are more destructive than any launched by Iran’s proxies,” he said. “Iran’s religious leaders must feel the ground shake under their own feet, both politically and militarily. If this threat is not made manifest in their minds, they will continue to feel free to attack American interests wherever and whenever they wish.”

On the other hand, as Haines concludes, if the US – and the rest of the world – continue to appease the ayatollahs, “there will be no peace.”

 

 

United States fails in deterring Houthis

After half a year of conflict, the United States has failed to deter the Houthis from attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea as the Yemeni fighters continue to attack commercial boats and disrupt global trade, posing an increasingly difficult challenge for the far larger American military.  

Repeated US bombardments on Houthis positions have done little to stop the group that has managed to employ advanced weapons like surface-water drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles to fluster US troops. They have kept up the pace of attacks with more than 190 drone and missile launches since the effort began in October 2023. 

While the US has thwarted most Houthi attempts to damage merchant ships, the Yemeni fighters have now sunk or heavily damaged at least four commercial vessels, along with hijacking one. They have also killed four commercial sailors. 

The latest successful attack came on June 23, when the Houthis struck the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned merchant ship the Trans World Navigator. The last vessel to sink, another Greek-owned ship, the Tutor, was on June 12.  

Bruce Bennett, an adjunct senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, said the Houthis are being fed by religious determination and a political motivation that embraces sacrifice, while their insurgent warfare, with weapons scattered across Yemen, pose a big challenge. 

“The US military is designed for regular warfare. It’s designed to take out an adversary who’s out there and targetable,” he said. “It’s really a very hard kind of military threat to get under control.” 

The conflict’s impact on global trade is only growing as it drags on. Earlier this month, the shipping industry sent out a scathing condemnation of the Houthis attacks, calling it “an unacceptable situation” and pushing for stronger international action to ensure the attacks “stop now.” 

While economic costs have largely been absorbed by the shipping industry and direct sellers for now, that could change. 

Adnan Mazarei, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics who focuses on the economies of the Middle East and Central Asia, said traffic is down by 50% in the Red Sea corridor. The impact is regional, he added, mainly hitting Egypt, which collects shipping revenues through the Suez Canal, along with reducing port traffic for countries like Israel. 

An extended conflict could begin to impact other parts of the world, especially Europe, as increased shipping costs trickle down to the average consumer. That could significantly worsen if a possible approaching war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is realized, Mazarei added. 

“Unless there is a war in Lebanon, we are in a somewhat stable situation” he said. “Not a good situation, but I think things are somewhat stabilized.” 

The Houthis are launching drones and missiles daily from sites in Yemen, using fishing boats for radar-tracking and relying on advanced weapons shipments and other targeting assistance from Iran. 

The scope of their efforts has also expanded outside of the maritime corridor, with the Houthis in the past few months kidnapping dozens of United Nations relief works, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. 

The US Navy has been constantly on the alert since full engagement began in January to quickly shoot down drones and launch counterattacks on the rebel group’s assets.  

But the Houthis need to slip just one drone or missile through defenses to do damage, while the U.S. cannot miss once or risk a hit, said Cmdr. Eric Blomberg with the USS Laboon, a destroyer ship that has taken on the Houthis, who told The Associated Press that people may be unaware of “how deadly serious it is what we’re doing and how under threat the ships continue to be.” 

The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group, made up of four ships and some 6,000 sailors, this month left the Middle East. The US is sending reinforcements to the region for the Eisenhower group, which has been deployed since October to deter regional escalation and counter the Houthis. 

Washington believes it can damage the rebels enough to stop the effectiveness of their campaign, though officials are now stressing the challenge of accomplishing that goal. 

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that the Houthis “miss a whole hell of a lot more than they hit” because of the Navy’s vigilance. 

Kirby explained the U.S. was focused on “taking away their capability to conduct the attacks” but also acknowledged the Houthis remain determined and well-supplied, despite the military working to intercept Iranian skiffs headed to Yemen. 

“They have instilled this sort of religious fervorness and made it some sort of cause célèbre, and when you do that, it becomes even more difficult,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to try to degrade their capabilities, but they’re still getting supplied. They’re still getting resourced by Iran.” 

United States and Britain target Yemen

The United States and Britain carried out a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, according to US Central Command.

In addition, the US unilaterally destroyed eight aerial attack drones over Yemen and the Red Sea.

The coalition strikes targeted 13 Houthi targets in parts of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed group.

This marked the fifth round of coalition strikes against the Houthis, who have repeatedly attacked US Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The two waterways, separated by the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, are critical to international shipping routes.

The last round of strikes occurred on February 24, as the US and Britain targeted Houthi weapons and radar sites.

The US has tried to disrupt the Houthi’s ability to target commercial vessels and US warships by going after their primary weapons, including anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones. The US has also destroyed maritime drones and underwater drones. The resumption of strikes follows an uptick in Houthi attacks over the last week.

During this past week, the US destroyed Houthi missile launchers in Yemen and intercepted aerial attack drones.

On Tuesday, three Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles struck a Greek-owned and operated merchant ship in the Red Sea, according to US Central Command. There were no injuries, according to Central Command, and the M/V Lax was able to continue its voyage.

The US spearheaded Operation Prosperity Guardian in December to protect international shipping, banding together with other nations to intercept Houthi attacks.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and a number of destroyers have patrolled the waters of the region to intercept Houthi launches.

The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer that recently returned from the Middle East, had 51 engagements in six months, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week was “the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II.”

Supply Lines: Red Sea Update

According to the Bloomberg, Red Sea shipping diversions may last a few more months, and some people think they could go on even longer.

That’s among the takeaways from the CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s No. 5 container line, in an interview Thursday on Bloomberg TV. Rolf Habben Jansen was speaking as the Hamburg, Germany-based company announced 2023 earnings that showed a steep drop in revenue and profits from a year earlier.

Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have disrupted supply chains since mid-December 2023, forcing carriers to change routes and redo schedules — adjustments that have helped absorb excess capacity.

As a result, they’re burning more fuel and taking longer to deliver, with some needing to purchase more containers given the extended routes. The added costs are getting past along to customers.

The longer routes around southern Africa initially boosted spot container rates but those are coming down, Jansen said. “The services are stabilizing, which also means that the market is getting calmer.”

He indicated, though, that there’s no telling when the Red Sea will be safe enough to transit again.

“We hope that we’re going to be able to go back through in a couple of months,” Jansen said. “But I know there are also people that think that it will last quite a while longer.”

In the medium term, excess capacity may return to weigh on freight rates. Hapag-Lloyd expects the market to remain difficult for carriers given the large number of ship deliveries this year, Jansen said in the company’s 2023 annual report.

Sharing that view was Zim Integrated Shipping CEO Eli Glickman, who spoke on a conference call on Wednesday. “Once the Red Sea crisis is resolved, we will likely revert to the supply-demand scenario that began to play out in ‘23, setting up a more challenging third and fourth quarter of 2024 for the industry, including us,” he said.

It’s not just the shipping companies facing a tough environment. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Bloomberg in an interview that “the risks are all on the downside.”

But corporate supply chains have gotten more resilient and flexible. Here’s a rundown of comments that a few big shippers and a major port operator have offered this week:

Samsonite CFO Reza Taleghani: “So if you think about things you read about in the news, shipping delays, Red Sea, et cetera, we are just fine. We have inventory exactly where we need it to be. All of our facilities, even if there is a week or two delays, not that big of a deal.”

Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden: “We have a little bit of headwind in freight in the first half because of the Red Sea situation, and as you know, if the freight companies have a chance to do something they increase prices. That should normalize and then the rest of everything that has to do with margin is going in the right direction.”

Williams-Sonoma CEO Laura Alber: “When a problem comes along, they’re real. The Red Sea disruption is pretty terrible. However, it is not costing us any more money. So far it is costing us about 10 days of delivery, give or take. And as I mentioned last time, we padded the deliveries to our customers once we heard about it, so we didn't disappoint them.”

DP World Group Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem: “Despite the uncertain start to 2024 with the ongoing Red Sea crisis, our portfolio has continued to demonstrate resilience. The outlook remains uncertain due to the challenging geopolitical and economic environment.”

 

Ships continue to transit Red Sea

With the passage of time it is becoming evident that Houthis are targeting vessels with Israeli links or cargoes only. That is the reason ship owners are still sending vessels through the region.

The western media is portraying that Houthis attack any ship passing through the Southern Red Sea. Therefore, the ship operators are rerouting vessels via the Cape of Good Hope.

According to the most recent poll conducted by Seatrade Maritime News when the respondents were asked, are some ship owners and charterers right in risking continuing to transit the Red Sea given the threat of attack?

The response to the question was very evenly split with 53% voting ‘yes’ they were right to continue transiting the Red Sea, while 47% said ‘no’ they should not transit the Red Sea.

The results in many ways mirror the industry’s reaction which has varied significantly by sector. Around two-thirds of all container ships have diverted via the Cape of Good Hope, with CMA CGM joining other top lines in this decision over the weekend. Similarly, LNG carrier transits of the Suez Canal 73% in January 2024 compared to November 2023, according to figures published by Kpler.

However, when compared tanker and dry bulk ship transits of the Suez Canal between January 2024 and November 2023 these reduced by just 23% and 27% respectively over the same period.

There would appear no resolution to the attacks on commercial shipping in the near term as the conflict in Gaza continues and Houthi rebels vowing to continue to strike at vessels with either Israeli links or cargoes.

This leaves it down to individual ship owners, operators, and charterers to weigh the risk to vessels, crew and cargoes of continuing to transit the Red Sea

 

Houthis claim to have hit US container ship

The Houthi movement in Yemen says it has struck a US merchant ship in the Red Sea in a fresh attack targeting commercial shipping, reports Saudi Gazette. It named the ship as the KOI, which it said was US-operated.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said a vessel operating south of Yemen's port of Aden had reported an explosion on board but it did not name the ship.

Meanwhile, the US has launched new air strikes in Yemen, targeting 10 drones reportedly being set up to launch.

According to Reuters, KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship operated by UK-based Oceonix Services. The same company's fleet includes the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which was damaged by a missile on Saturday.

The Houthis regard all Israeli, US and British ships as legitimate targets following Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, and US and British targeting of Houthi missile positions in what the two countries say are efforts to protect commerce.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Wednesday that the movement's armed forces had targeted an American merchant ship named KOI with "several appropriate naval missiles".

The ship, he said, had been heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine", a phrase which is sometimes used to mean Israel.

Yemen, he added, would not hesitate to retaliate against British-American escalation.

US Central Command said the 10 drones being prepared for launch in Yemen had posed a threat to merchant vessels and US warships in the region.

All 10 were destroyed along with a Houthi drone ground control station, it said.

The US added that one of its warships had shot down three Iranian drones and a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden.

Axis of resistance as defined by western media

ran's role as leader of Axis of Resistance - which includes the Houthis, Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and militias in Iraq and Syria - had to be balanced against avoiding getting sucked into a regional war over Gaza.

Tehran's messaging to - and about - the Houthis requires a measure of deniability about the extent of its control over them - but also an ability to claim some credit for their anti-Israel actions.

Strikes by United States and Britain on Houthi targets have failed to deter the group which controls a large chunk of Yemen including the capital Sanaa and much of the country's Red Sea coast by the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The Houthis, who first emerged in the 1980s as an armed group in opposition to Saudi Arabia in Yemen, are said to be armed, funded and trained by Iran and are part of its anti-West, anti-Israel Axis of Resistance.

As reported by Reuters, a senior US official informed that Washington had asked China to use its leverage with Iran to persuade it to restrain the Houthis, including in conversations Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had this month with senior Chinese Communist Party official Liu Jianchao.

A senior Iranian official said while Chinese officials discussed their concerns thoroughly in the meetings, they never mentioned any requests from Washington.

On January 14, China's foreign minister Wang Yi called for an end to attacks on civilian ships in the Red Sea - without naming the Houthis or mentioning Iran - and the maintenance of supply chains and the international trade order.

Victor Gao, chair professor at China's Soochow University, said China, as the world's biggest trading nation, was disproportionately affected by the shipping disruption and restoring stability in the Red Sea was a priority.

Gao, a former Chinese diplomat and an adviser to oil giant Saudi Aramco, said Beijing would view Israel's treatment of the Palestinians as the root cause of the Red Sea crisis and would not want to publicly ascribe blame to the Houthis.

A diplomat familiar with the matter said China had been talking to Iran about the issue but it was unclear how seriously Tehran was taking Beijing's advice.

Two officials in the Yemeni government, an enemy of the Houthis, said they were aware that several countries, including China, had sought to influence Iran to rein the Houthis in.

Analysts Gregory Brew of Eurasia Group and Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group said China had potential leverage over Iran because of its oil purchases and because Iran was hoping to attract more Chinese direct investment in future.

Both said China had so far been reluctant to use its leverage, for several reasons.

"China prefers to free-ride on the US safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea by bloodying the Houthis' nose," said Vaez, adding that Beijing was also aware that Iran did not have total control over its Yemeni allies.

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Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Thursday that Iran to date had not conveyed any message from China about scaling back attacks.

"They will not inform us of such a request, especially since Iran's stated position is to support Yemen. It condemned the American-British strikes on Yemen, and considered Yemen's position honourable and responsible," he said.

The stakes are high for Iran as China is one of the few powers capable of providing the billions of dollars of investment Tehran needs to maintain the capacity of its oil sector and keep its economy afloat.

China's influence was evident in 2023 when it facilitated an agreement between Iran and regional rival Saudi Arabia to end years of hostilities.

There are robust economic ties between China and Iran, Beijing's influence on Tehran's geopolitical decisions was not absolute.

Iranian state media says Chinese firms have only invested US$185 million since then. State media also said last year that Iranian non-oil exports to China fell 68% in the first five months of 2023 while Iran's imports from China rose 40%.

By contrast, Chinese companies committed last year to invest billions in Saudi Arabia after the countries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022.

While China could not be ignored, Tehran had other priorities to consider and its decisions were shaped by a complex interplay of factors.

Regional alliances and priorities as well as ideological considerations contribute significantly to Tehran's decisions.

Iran has to adopt a nuanced strategy when it came to the Gaza war, as well as the Houthi attacks, and that Tehran would not abandon its allies.

 

 

US and UK nationals ordered to leave Yemen

Yemen's Houthi authorities have ordered the US and British staff of the United Nations and Sanaa-based humanitarian organizations to leave the country within a month, a document and a Houthi official said on Wednesday.

The decision follows strikes by the United States and Britain, with support from other nations, against military targets of the group, which has been launching attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea that is says are linked to Israel.

The US government last week also returned the Houthis to a list of terrorist groups as Washington tries to stem attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said their attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel bombards Gaza.

"The ministry ... would like to stress that you must inform officials and workers with US and British citizenships to prepare to leave the country within 30 days," said a letter sent by the Houthi foreign ministry to the UN's acting humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Peter Hawkins.

The letter also ordered foreign organisations to not hire American and British citizens for Yemen's operations.

Houthi top negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam confirmed the letter's authenticity to Reuters.

The US embassy said in a statement it was aware of reports about the letter but "cannot speak on behalf of the UN or humanitarian organizations in Yemen as to what they may have received from Houthi 'authorities'".

The British embassy said staff had not yet been told to leave and the mission was in close contact with the UN on the issue.

"The UN provide vital assistance to the Yemeni people ... via the very sea routes that the Houthis are jeopardizing," the British mission in Yemen said in a statement. "Nothing should be done that hinders their ability to deliver," it added.

The Houthi movement controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a US-backed coalition. The war has shifted to a no-war, no-peace stalemate as the fighting has largely stopped, but both parties have failed to renew formally a UN-brokered ceasefire.

US and British warplanes, ships and submarines have launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks as container vessels have been forced to divert from the Red Sea, the fastest freight route from Asia to Europe.

US and British forces on Tuesday targeted a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities, the Pentagon said.

 

 

US-led attacks on Yemen an exercise in futility

The United States and British operations against Houthi militants threatening ships in the Red Sea are making matters worse, China’s envoy to the European Union warned.

“They can only escalate the tension and it’ll not guarantee or maintain the safe passage of the commercial vessels,” Fu Cong said in an interview with Bloomberg. “It’ll even make the passage more dangerous.”

US Central Command forces conducted military strikes Wednesday against two Houthi anti-ship missiles, the latest in a series of efforts to diminish the group’s ability disrupt trade.

Hundreds of vessel operators that cross the Red Sea to access the Suez Canal as they move cargo between Asia, the US and Europe are avoiding the shortcut and taking the longer southern route around Africa.

It’s a massive diversion that’s delaying delivery of billions of dollars in goods, adding to costs and carbon emissions, and fueling fears of broader economic fallout, according to today’s Bloomberg Big Take. 

As the US and UK naval operations continue, the EU is moving ahead with its own plans to established a naval operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping, but it’s still working out the details.

Fu, who is China’s top envoy in Brussels, said the Houthi attacks are a spillover from the Gaza crisis, where Israel has conducted its own military operations against Hamas militants who attacked, kidnapped and killed Israeli citizens on October 07, 2023.

Fu urged the international community, and the US in particular, to exercise more leverage or pressure on the Israeli authorities to stop the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza and in particular the civilians.

“Common sense will tell us that by escalating the tension, you will only aggravate the situation and you cannot resolve the problem with the approach that the US and UK are taking,” Fu said.

Courtesy: Bloomberg

US allies reluctant to join Red Sea task force

The response to the mantra of US President Joe Biden regarding formation of response force to Yemen's Houthi attacks on ships passing through Red Sea is disappointing. It seems many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all.

Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.

The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.

Nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the US to do so. Those contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff officer.

The reluctance of some US allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians.

"European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them," said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid, noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of being drawn into a conflict.

Reportedly, Houthis have been alleged for attacking or seizing a dozen ships with missiles and drones since November 19.

The navies of the United States, Britain and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.

The US believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.

However, this kind of propaganda is being highlighted in US sponsored/ supported media. It may be recalled that Hothis has announced to target Israeli ships of vessels carrying to and from Israel.

Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope.

While the US says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.

Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the US operation, several mentioned in the US announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved.

Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the US operation.

France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.

Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping.

But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.

Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.

There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the US administration's thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.

That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the US operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the US could make it more of a target.

In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several US-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a reciprocal relationship with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.

That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the US Navy.

Vessels still heading into Red Sea

According to Seatrade Maritime News, three container ships, one each from MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM, were identified on VesselsValue AIS heading south in the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea, despite the carrier’s saying they had re-routed vessels around the African Cape.

Houthi Group missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels have seen many vessels already diverted, but some ships continue to use the critical Red Sea waterway, which has at its northern extremity the southern entrance to the Suez Canal.

A number of other container ships from Cosco, Wan Hai, MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM were identified either having already transited the Bab al-Mandeb Strait or heading for the mouth of the Red Sea, which leads into the Gulf of Aden and into the Indian Ocean.

In total in the Red Sea region AIS identifies around 80-90 container vessels having already transited, or about to transit the Red Sea in the near future.

Most of the top ten container carriers have made statements saying that their vessels would avoid the Red Sea/Suez waterways until the security situation was alleviated.

Houthi Group missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels have seen many vessels already diverted, but some ships continue to use the critical Red Sea waterway, which has at its northern extremity the southern entrance to the Suez Canal.

A Maersk spokesman pointed to its statement, when asked about the prudence of sailing via Suez. The statement said, “Having monitored developments closely and retrieved all available intelligence, Maersk has decided that all vessels previously paused and due to sail through the region will now be re-routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope for safety reasons.”

Maersk also pointed out that some of its vessels operate under the Maersk Line Limited banner which operates for the US Government and is not part of Maersk Line’s overall offering.

Other carriers contacted by Seatrade Maritime News, including CMA CGM and MSC did not respond.

Meanwhile, the international maritime task force of around 10 countries called Operation Prosperity Guardian, which includes naval forces from Italy, Spain, the UK and the US among others was today joined by Greece which has sent a frigate to bolster the naval coalition.

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said in a statement today: "The frigate will participate in the multinational operation 'Prosperity Guardian', for the protection of merchant ships, the lives of seafarers, and the global economy,".

In addition, the International Union of Marine Insurers also made a statement on the 19 December condemning the attacks on shipping: “Provision of hull and cargo insurance has become increasingly challenging due to the heightened risk. As insurers, we are continuously assessing the situation to ensure adequate coverage and support for our clients, while also advocating for enhanced safety measures.”

 

 

Two ships divert course away from Red Sea

Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen's Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.

Israel on Sunday said the Houthis had seized a British-owned, Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, describing the incident as an Iranian act of terrorism with consequences for international maritime security.

The Houthis, an ally of Tehran, confirmed that they had seized a ship in that area but termed it Israeli.

Japan's top government spokesperson on Monday confirmed the capture of the Nippon Yusen-operated ship Galaxy Leader, adding that Japan was appealing to the Houthis while seeking the help of Saudi, Omani and Iranian authorities to work toward the swift release of the vessel and its crew.

Two other ships also listed as commercially managed by Ray Car Carriers, Glovis Star and Hermes Leader, diverted their sailing routes, Ambrey said on Monday.

"The vessel continued to sail back to where it had come from, providing a new AIS destination as Hambantota, Sri Lanka," Ambrey said. "The vessel incurred a minimum four-day business disruption and sailed an additional 1,876 nautical miles."

The Glovis Star drifted for a number of hours in the Red Sea before continuing its journey, AIS ship tracking data showed on Monday.

Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime, which is the registered owner of the Galaxy Leader, said in a statement on Monday that the vessel was illegally boarded by military personnel via a helicopter on November 19.

When asked about the other two vessels diverting, a company spokesperson said it was not commenting further on political issues.

Houthi leadership last week said their forces would make further attacks on Israel and they could target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

US maritime administration MARAD in an advisory said the Galaxy Leader had been hijacked approximately 50 miles west of the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, adding that ships should exercise caution when transiting this area.

"We saw yesterday a new record - for the first time we saw an official announcement of pirates taking over a ship on the high seas, which I think is a major threat to international law and order," Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in comments on Monday, referring to the Galaxy Leader.

 

Saudi Arabia and Yemen exchange prisoners

A total of 19 prisoners from the Coalition Forces, including 16 Saudis and three Sudanese, arrived at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday.

This was under a major prisoner swap deal in which 250 Houthi prisoners also left Abha International Airport for Sanaa, according to Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman of the Coalition Forces to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

This was the second phase of the prisoner swap involving about 800 prisoners of war, initiated by the legitimate government and the Houthis in Yemen.

Brig. Gen Al-Maliki said the prisoner exchange process is of great concern for the political and military command of the Coalition to end the prisoner file and exchange all prisoners and detainees.

He also appreciated the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General to Yemen Hans Grundberg for supporting and making the swap of prisoners and detainees a great success.

The prisoners who landed at Riyadh airport were received by the Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Commander of the Joint Forces Lt. Gen. Mutlaq Al-Azima, commanders of the armed forces branches, Head of the Military Wing at the Ministry of National Guard Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, and Military Attaché at the Sudanese embassy in the Kingdom Brig. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Wahed Absher.

The release of these prisoners was the second phase of the three-day prisoner swap between the legitimate Yemeni government and the Houthis that began on Friday.

A flight carrying 120 former detainees took off from the city of Abha on Saturday. The operation will continue on Saturday and Sunday to exchange about 800 prisoners from both sides, with operating 15 flights to six airports in Yemen.

Majid Fadael, spokesman of the government delegation to the prisoners’ negotiations, member of the negotiating delegation and undersecretary at the Ministry of Human Rights, said in a statement on his Twitter account that the second phase of the operation will take place through the airports of Mocha-Sanaa, Abha-Sanaa, and Sanaa-Riyadh, and it will be on board six flights operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The first phase of the exchange of prisoners between the two sides began Friday when the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) planes transported 318 prisoners to and from the Yemeni capital Sanaa and Aden.

Among the 69 prisoners, released by the Houthi group, included former Defense Minister Mahmoud Al-Subaihi and Nasser Mansour Hadi, the brother of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The Yemeni government released 249 prisoners who were transferred from Aden to Sanaa on board two flights.

Meanwhile the Yemeni Minister of Interior Ibrahim Ali Ahmed Haydan said that this operation, which took place at the initiative of Saudi Arabia and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, is the largest ever prisoner swap in years.

He emphasized that the prisoner exchange will continue to include all prisoners after the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr. “There has been greater understanding regarding the peace process after the exchange of prisoners,” he pointed out.

It is noteworthy that in the last major exchange that took place in October 2020, more than 1,050 prisoners were released and they returned to their regions or countries, according to a report of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The release operations are the result of talks concluded on 20 March, 2023, in Bern, Switzerland, where the parties to the conflict in Yemen finalized the plan for the release. The ICRC co-chaired these meetings with the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen