Iran sinks US Ship carrying 30,000 Interceptors

Please watch and save this video, because shortly it may be removed. This narrates a story of Iran sinking a US Supply Ship USNS Robert E. Peary in Red Sea, where 30,000 interceptors were lost in 20 minutes. To hear details click https://youtu.be/WqAPNl-36NU?si=f-2ngZJCnc96BVCt

Red Sea cable damage disrupt internet in Asia and Middle East

According to media reports, internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East was disrupted after undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, experts said Sunday, though the cause of the incident remains unclear.

The outages have raised concerns about possible sabotage amid ongoing attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, who have previously denied targeting subsea cables.

Undersea fiber links form one of the backbones of global internet infrastructure, alongside satellites and land-based networks.

Microsoft said on its status website that the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea,” though it added that internet traffic not routed through the region was unaffected.

NetBlocks, an internet observatory, reported “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea” degrading connectivity in multiple countries, including India and Pakistan. It said the failures affected the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems.

Pakistan Telecommunications Company confirmed the cuts in a Saturday statement.

The affected cables are operated by Tata Communications and a consortium managed by Alcatel Submarine Networks. Both companies declined to comment.

Subsea lines can be damaged accidentally by ship anchors or intentionally in attacks. Repairs often take weeks as ships must locate and lift the cable before restoring service.

 

Vessel reports electronic interference and unknown projectile in Red Sea

An unknown projectile struck the surface of the sea some distance from a vessel in the Red Sea, an area suffering “severe electronic interference,” according to a master’s report published by UKMTO.

The suspicious activity warning relates to an incident reported at 0310 hours on September 04, 178 nm northwest of Yemen’s Al Hudaydah.

The location falls well within the operational range of Yemen’s Houthis, a group whose attacks on merchant vessels has led many vessels to avoid transiting the Red Sea entirely.

After a period of relative calm in the area since the end of 2024, the Houthis began attacking ships in the area again in early July 2025, striking and sinking two vessels in the space of two days.

In the past week, the Houthis have claimed two more successful attacks on merchant ships, but both vessels have continued on their way; one ship reported the attack as having missed.

Electronic interference is not commonly reported in the Red Sea, but has regularly been reported on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula around the Strait of Hormuz.

Disruption to navigation systems such as GPS and AIS including spoofing and jamming lasted for multiple days in June as tensions boiled over between Iran and Israel.

Courtesy: Seatrade Maritime News

 

Yemen carries out precision operations

Yemeni Armed Forces carried out five precision military operations targeting the Israeli military’s General Staff building in Tel Aviv, the Hadera power station, Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Ashdod Port, and the ship MSC ABY in the northern Red Sea. These attacks were conducted using a number of drones and a cruise missile.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated that the Air Force conducted four drone operations using Samad-4 drones. 

The first targeted the General Staff building in Tel Aviv, while the remaining three struck the Hadera power station, Ben Gurion Airport, and Ashdod Port. He confirmed that all targets were successfully hit.

In addition, the Air Force and Missile Unit carried out a joint operation against the ship “MSC ABY” vessel for violating the ban on entering ports in occupied Palestine and for its ties to the Israeli regime. The ship was struck directly using two drones and a cruise missile.

The Yemeni Armed Forces affirmed that these operations are part of their continued support for the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, aimed at ending the aggression and lifting the blockade. Officials emphasized that the attacks are a response to the “Zionist enemy’s acts of genocide and starvation against civilians”. 

Following the announcement from Sanaa, air raid sirens sounded again in Tel Aviv and its surrounding areas. The Israeli military said it has detected another missile launch from Yemen. Israeli media reported that the airspace over Ben Gurion Airport has been closed following the launch.

According to military experts, the Yemeni response to the assassination of the Prime Minister and ministers in Sanaa has not occurred yet. The calculations for the response to this operation are different and will most likely be carried out at a deterrent level.

On Monday, Yemeni forces announced they struck the Israeli oil tanker Scarlet Ray in the northern Red Sea with a ballistic missile.

Below is the latest statement in full issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces:

“In victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and their noble fighters, and in response to the crimes of genocide and starvation committed by the Zionist enemy against our brothers in the Gaza Strip.

 In line with our affirmation of the ongoing ban on the Zionist enemy’s maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, the Yemeni Air Force and the Missile Force executed a joint military operation targeting the ship (MSC ABY), which had violated the decision to ban entry into the ports of occupied Palestine and was linked to the Zionist enemy. The operation, carried out in the northern Red Sea with two drones and a cruise missile, directly struck the ship successfully, by the grace and support of God.”

Addressing the Palestinian people facing US-backed genocidal war in Gaza, the statement went on to say:

“We march upon your path, we follow your way, and we stand united in your cause. We do not retreat when others retreat, we do not abandon when others abandon, and we do not hesitate when others hesitate, deny, or turn back—thus becoming the losers.

“Our oppressed brothers in Gaza—upon whom the aggression has continued, the siege has tightened, their enemy has slaughtered and starved them, while the weak abandoned them and the traitors conspired against them. May the eyes of the cowards never sleep! We continue our support for them until the genocide is stopped and the siege lifted from them.”

 

Israel: Ben Gurion Airport Attacked

Yemeni forces persist in striking the Israeli regime with hypersonic missiles in response to its genocidal war on Gaza. In a recent operation, the Yemeni Armed Forces launched a new strike on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, prompting millions of Israelis to seek shelter and leading to a suspension of airport operations.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the Yemeni forces executed a “qualitative military operation” targeting Ben Gurion in Tel Aviv using a hypersonic ballistic missile. The attack successfully halted air traffic at the airport.

Saree confirmed that the operation achieved its intended goals, causing the suspension of air travel and sending millions of settlers into hiding. 

He warned, “Remaining silent about the daily massacres in Gaza will bring shame and disgrace upon this nation, leaving it more vulnerable to its enemies than ever, unless it acts to fulfill its religious, moral, and humanitarian obligations toward the oppressed Palestinian people.”

General Saree further stated that the Yemeni Armed Forces will continue and intensify their operations until the Israeli genocide in Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.

Following the missile launch from Yemen, air raid sirens were activated in Tel Aviv and throughout large areas across Israel. The Israeli occupation army confirmed, “Air defenses are dealing with a ballistic missile launched from Yemen.”

Israeli media also reported the suspension of flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport as a result of the attack, highlighting the disruption caused to Israeli air traffic.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have issued warnings of an aerial blockade on the Israeli regime, marked by repeated strikes on Ben Gurion Airport.

“In light of the developments in Gaza and the enemy’s escalating crimes against our steadfast and oppressed people, the Yemeni Armed Forces are working to double their capabilities to expand support operations and intensify military action,” Saree stated. 

“This includes maintaining the ban on air traffic at Lod Airport (Ben Gurion), a maritime blockade at Haifa Port, and a restriction on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas.”

A previous strike near the airport in early May, reportedly hitting a car park, also led to the suspension of air traffic and cancellation of several international flights.

Following these developments, international airlines began canceling flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport, causing a notable decline in passenger traffic.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that this was due to the Yemeni Armed Forces’ declaration of a comprehensive no-fly zone over Israeli airspace.

On May 06, the United States reached a ceasefire agreement with the Yemeni government. The near-daily strikes had failed to deter Yemeni retaliation.

Trump stated the ceasefire was “effective immediately” after the US acknowledged that its warships in the Red Sea had been subjected to repeated attacks.

Analysts believe that the US military campaign in Yemen, widely viewed as a measure to protect the Israeli regime, became too costly to sustain.

In less than six weeks, Yemeni forces shot down seven American MQ-9 Reaper drones over their airspace, causing losses totaling approximately US$200 million.

Additionally, the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has returned home after losing three fighter jets in the Red Sea.
 

 

US Attack on Yemen May Spark War With Iran

In a dramatic escalation of Middle Eastern tensions, US President Donald Trump has ordered decisive military strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen. He declared that the United States would deploy overwhelming lethal force until its strategic objectives were achieved.

Trump justified the campaign by accusing the Houthis of engaging in piracy, violence, and terrorism against American and allied ships, aircraft, and drones in the region. He vowed that no terrorist group would be allowed to interfere with global shipping routes, asserting that American commercial and naval vessels must sail freely through international waterways without fear of attack.

Western media reports have extensively covered the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. It is alleged that the Houthis are backed by Iran. They claim their actions are a direct response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. They argue that their attacks are acts of solidarity with Palestinians suffering under Israeli bombardment. The group previously stated they would halt hostilities in the Red Sea if Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas.

Trump’s rhetoric left no room for negotiation. "Support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately," he declared. "Do not threaten the American people, their President, or worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, beware, because America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it."

His statements signaled a stark warning to regional powers, particularly Iran, which has long been accused of arming and financing the Houthis.

The strikes on Yemen are increasingly viewed not just as an attack on the Houthis, but as the opening of a larger, more dangerous proxy war between the United States and Iran.

While the Houthis themselves are a localized force, their ties to Tehran position them as a key player in the broader struggle for influence across the Middle East.

Iran insists its nuclear program remains peaceful, yet tensions with Washington and its regional ally, Israel, continue to escalate.

Iran’s support for groups like the Houthis, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various militias in Iraq and Syria are seen by Western powers as efforts to project power and undermine US and Israeli interests.

International condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza continues to grow, with many accusing the country of committing genocide against Palestinians.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has fueled anger across the Middle East, amplifying support for groups like the Houthis who present themselves as defenders of the Palestinian cause.

This complex web of conflicts — Israel’s actions in Gaza, Iran’s regional influence, and US intervention — is increasingly pulling global powers into a dangerous confrontation.

Trump’s military stance is not likely to secure shipping routes in the short term, but it risks inflaming an already volatile region.

With Iran’s deep-rooted influence in Yemen and beyond, the US may find itself drawn further into an extended, unpredictable conflict — one with consequences that could reverberate far beyond the Middle East.

MBS Announces Red Sea Sustainability Strategy

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman unveiled on Wednesday the National Red Sea Sustainability Strategy. This initiative aims to protect the Red Sea, empower local communities, and transition to a blue economy, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 and the recently announced national priorities for research, development, and innovation (RDI), particularly in the areas of sustainable environment and essential needs.

Speaking on the occasion, the Crown Prince emphasized Saudi Arabia’s efforts to unlock its vast economic, geographical and cultural potential while championing sustainability and environmental conservation.

He described the strategy as pivotal in establishing the blue economy as a core component of the Kingdom’s diversified economy.

“The Kingdom aspires for the Red Sea region to become a global reference for leading blue economy activities and reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable future for the Red Sea,” he said, calling for collective efforts to safeguard the Red Sea coast and the communities that rely on it.

The Red Sea, covering 186,000 square kilometers with a coastline stretching 1,800 kilometers, is one of the world’s most bio-diverse regions. It is home to the fourth-largest barrier reef system, 6.2% of global coral reefs, and hundreds of islands.

The strategy outlines a comprehensive framework to preserve and regenerate these natural treasures while ensuring their enjoyment and sustainability for future generations. It also demonstrates how protecting the environment can unlock the economic potential of the region and initiate the transition to a blue economy.

This transition will create investment opportunities in various marine sectors such as ecotourism, fisheries, renewable energy, water desalination, shipping, and industry.

A key component of the strategy is its ambitious vision for 2030. It aims to expand marine and coastal protected areas from 3% to 30%, increase the contribution of renewable energy to 50% of the energy mix, and create thousands of new jobs linked to blue economy activities.

Furthermore, it seeks to safeguard Saudi Arabia’s substantial investments in coastal tourism, which are expected to make significant contributions to the national GDP.

The strategy is built around five main objectives: Environmental Sustainability, Economic Development, Social Development, Safety and Security, and Governance and Collaboration. Within this framework, 48 targeted initiatives have been developed to support the Kingdom’s aspirations for the blue economy.

New Red Sea Services Launched

According to Seatrade Maritime News, global line Ocean Network Express (ONE) and regional player SeaLead have announced new services calling at ports in, or at the entrance to, the Red Sea.

Ocean Network Express (ONE) said is launching a new weekly service Red Sea Gulf India 2 (RG2). The new service calls Mundra, Jebel Ali, Jeddah, Sohkna, and Aqaba.

The new service will provide additional coverage as well as increasing connectivity and frequency to the Red Sea, on top of ONE’s existing Red Sea Gulf India Service (RGI).

The largest container lines, including ONE, have rerouted nearly all their long-haul services between Asia – Europe/ Med and the US East Coast via the Cape of Good Hope due to the security situation in the Red Sea and to avoid the threat of Houthi attack.

ONE has also suspended its Asia Red Sea 1 service which normally connects Northeast Asia and Red Sea via Southeast Asia.

However, for trades within the Middle East region to Red Sea ports there are few other viable options than to continue sailing through the Red Sea.

Regional player SeaLead is one of those that has continued to sail through the Red Sea and has add3d a new Far East India Djibouti (FID) service that starts on September 05, 2024.

New service calls Djibouti which is on the African shore of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway at the southern entrance to the Red Sea where the Houthi in Yemen have launched attacks on commercial ships transiting the waters since last November.

Suleyman Avci, Global Chief Executive Officer at SeaLead, said, "This service is a strategic step forward, enhancing our capabilities in China, India, and East Africa. By leveraging Djibouti's crucial maritime hub, which connects the Red Sea, we are providing greater coverage and ensuring faster, more reliable connections for our customers, solidifying SeaLead's role in shaping global trade."

The FID service originates in Shanghai, calling Ningbo, Nansha, Port Klang, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, and Mundra before reaching Djibouti.

According to SeaLead’s website it operates an India – Turkiye service, Turkiye – Red Sea that connects to the Port of Jeddah, and a China – East Asia – Turkiye route, all of which transit the Red Sea.

 

Russian crude drives dark fleet demand

Dark fleet tankers and risky Suez transits are having little impact on India’s soaring imports of Russian crude, now running at 20 times the volume shipped prior to the invasion of Ukraine.

Analysis by New York broker, Poten & Partners, has revealed that Indian imports of heavily sanctioned Russian crude have increased to almost 1.8 million barrels a day (bpd), up from just 88,000 bpd prior to the invasion in February 2022.

At that time, Russia ranked ninth on India’s list of oil suppliers, with Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE supplying about 60% of the country’s crude. The three Middle East nations were followed by the US and Nigeria.

Prior to the invasion, Russian crude had not been attractive to Indian refiners because of logistical constraints. None of Russia’s main export ports in the Baltic, the Black Sea or the Far East can load VLCCs, Poten pointed out, so Russian cargoes were shipped aboard Aframax and Suezmax tankers.  

However, the picture changed dramatically following the 2022 invasion when western nations imposed sanctions on Russian crude. This was largely driven by price. Until the invasion, ‘Dated Brent’ and Urals crude had traded broadly in parity but, following sanctions, ‘official’ Urals prices were an average of US$10-20 lower. Since deals involving Russian crude are shrouded in secrecy, Poten’s analysis has revealed that actual discounts could be much higher, possibly as much as US$40 a barrel.  

Much of the new Soviet crude was bought based on spot prices and arranged by Russian oil traders, many of them in Dubai, who charge ‘significant commissions’ for their services. But over recent months, the discount of Urals to Brent crude has narrowed, making the crude less attractive.

Meanwhile, the tanker trade from Russia to India has become more challenging, Poten said. Sanctions now restrict the use of Western shipping services including owners, brokers, and insurers when the Soviet crude price exceeds the ‘price cap’ of US$60 per barrel. This has forced Indian importers to rely on tankers in the so-called dark fleet – ships that may be old, poorly maintained, with dodgy crews and questionable insurance cover.

The dangers of the dark fleet have been highlighted by the recent collision between the Sao Tome and Principe VLCC Ceres I and the Singapore-registered product tanker Hafnia Nile, where the VLCC later attempted to flee the scene of the accident.

The US and EU are trying to ‘tighten the noose’ around these sanctions-busting shipowners. The availability of suitable ships could soon become a problem, possibly even limiting Russia’s export possibilities. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East is making this worse.

The dark fleet tankers on the route from Russia to India often take the shortcut through Suez, Poten said, even though the Houthis are increasing their strikes against ships in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb Straits. But the voyage round the Cape takes far longer and is much more expensive.

Despite these setbacks, Poten reports that Indian refiners are now in dialogue with Soviet suppliers on term deals, rather than spot contracts. This could reduce transaction costs by cutting out the middlemen.

“It would also suggest that the boost in ton-mile demand that has helped trigger the sustained increase in tanker rates may be here to stay,” Poten concluded.  

Courtesy: Seatrade Maritime News

 

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.

Examining Maritime Security Concerns

Judging from reports published during the second quarter, one might assume that the greatest maritime security concerns for operators of the merchant fleet in Asia are centered on the South China Sea’s Saint Thomas Shoal and the Taiwan Strait.

As is true on all the world’s waters, awareness of the potential threats amongst vessel operators and crew is the best defence in mitigating all potential consequences, whether great or small. While the threat levels in Asia are not as significant as those in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, the significance and nature of the threats do change, and therefore require continued attention.

While the Chinese military forces do conduct significant military exercises along the Taiwanese coast while the Chinese Coast Guard continues its provocations aimed at the Philippines Navy, to date neither activity has resulted with significant consequences for merchant shipping plying these waters. Opportunistic armed robbers and thieves have maintained their focus on the profits to be gained from stealing vessels’ equipment and spare parts in areas farther to the south and west.

Risk Intelligence, as part of its daily security incident analysis and monitoring operations, tallied a total of 22 reported vessel boardings in Asian waters during the second quarter, with half of these taking place along the Singapore Strait. In a distant second place in terms of the number of vessel boardings is Chittagong, Bangladesh, where two thefts and one inconsequential boarding took place at the anchorage. Dumai with two boardings trailed Chittagong, the site of one theft and one inconsequential boarding at the anchorage, while armed robberies, thefts and inconsequential boardings were also recorded at Vung Tau, Manila, Belawan and Balikpapan.

Chittagong’s second place standing behind the Singapore Strait has drawn attention amongst stakeholders, including ReCAAP which in June issued a special report that compared the single reported vessel boarding in Bangladeshi waters during 2023 with nine reported boardings between January 01 and May 31 this year.

While the dramatic nine-fold increase is cause for concern, this year’s decline in the number of incidents from seven in Q1 to three in Q2 may be grounds for cautious optimism.

It is also worthy to note that when the theft of property from vessels is promptly reported to the Bangladeshi authorities, they have an admirable record of apprehending the perpetrators and returning the stolen items.

Like all categories of crime, whether on land or at sea, there is a significant degree of under reporting, therefore the tally of known boardings does not represent the actual crime level within any straits, anchorage areas or ports in Asia.

When assessing such statistics, it is also important to bear in mind that the generic term ‘piracy’ is now applied to a wide range of crimes, from vessel hijackings and seafarer kidnappings to armed robberies and thefts, a practice that can be misleading.

Similarly, the accuracy of the respective statistics hinges on the severity of the crimes, with statistics for hijackings and kidnappings being far more accurate than statistics for armed robberies and thefts.

A vessel operator is far more motivated to report a hijacking or kidnapping during which the fate of vessels and seafarers is at stake as compared to a theft of engine spare parts, for obvious reasons. With that in mind, there is high confidence that an absence of reports of hijackings and kidnappings in Asia reflects an actual absence of such crimes during Q2, while the number of reports of armed robberies and thefts tallied in the same period is unlikely to reflect the true scope of these less significant yet still serious crimes.

Not all vessel types are targeted by criminals in Asia. There have been no recorded incidents involving cruise ships, and no container vessels have recently been targeted while navigating the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

Bulk carriers continue to be the most frequently targeted ships, in particular when reducing speed to transit the Singapore Strait, followed by tankers and barges. Vessels with low freeboard such as OSVs and heavy lift vessels, both offering easy access to perpetrators on sampans, also remain vulnerable.

The area with the highest frequency of vessel boardings continues to be the Singapore Strait, with 50% of the boardings in the second quarter taking place within the strait’s recognized International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) boundaries. Here nine of the 11 incidents involved vessels underway, while two involved ships situated at anchorages off Batam. Further illustrating the strait’s position as the primary area of armed robberies and thefts, June 2024 was the first month since May 2021 during which all reported maritime security incidents in Southeast Asia took place within the boundaries of the Singapore Strait.

As has been the case for several years regarding the Singapore Strait, bulk carriers are most often targeted, followed by tankers and barges. In Q2, seven of the 11 incidents involved bulk carriers, with the remainder involving one heavy lift vessel, an OSV and two barges, from which thieves seek scrap metal cargo.

Despite the frequency of Singapore Strait boardings, in most cases the crew is unharmed, while the perpetrators focus on taking spare parts and equipment that they can sell onshore. In a marked improvement from previous years, at this time merchant shipping in Asia is not facing more significant consequences stemming from hijackings or kidnappings.

Maritime security concerns in Asia are not limited to the aforementioned geopolitical activities in the South China Sea and piracy in the broader sense. While merchant ships navigate these waters they are surrounded by a significant level of migrant smuggling with a dark fleet seeking to operate under the radar, and drug and contraband smuggling.

Currently these activities have not had significant impact on merchant ships, although monitoring this activity remains necessary in light of potential future consequences.

In Asia large tankers transporting sanctioned oil cargoes have sought to disguise their activities by using the names and particulars of innocent traders in AIS broadcasts, with implications for the operators of the vessels subject to such identity theft. Smaller vessels illegally buying, selling and storing fuel comprise another dark fleet.

Conventional cargo vessels are rarely impacted by their operations, except when duped into purchasing fuel from such rogue traders.

The widespread smuggling at sea in Asia has not had significant impact on the merchant fleet as the crime syndicates involved primarily move their contraband on small boats, thereby circumventing conventional ports, although there are occasional concealments discovered in containerized cargo. Illegal movements of migrants and refugees is also done on small boats, so far without the consequences similar to what has been seen in the Mediterranean.

Courtesy:  Seatrade Maritime News

 

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.” 

LNG vessel begins journey through Red Sea

According to Reuters, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel has commenced journey through the Red Sea after crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait this week, a rare occurrence for LNG shipments following attacks by Yemeni Houthis on ships in the area.

The Asya Energy vessel passed by Yemen through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on June 18, shiptracking data from LSEG and Kpler showed, the same week as a second ship believed to have been hit by Yemen's Houthi militants sunk.

"Asya Energy is the first LNG tanker to sail through the Bab el Mandeb strait since January this year when LNG voyages through the Red Sea were suspended amid repeated rocket attacks," said LSEG analyst Olumide Ajayi, adding that data showed that the ship is carrying cargo.

Most LNG tankers have avoided taking this route after Houthis launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea region. They describe their attacks, which have since expanded to other busy waterways, as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza.

The Red Sea is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, creating the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, and is connected to the Gulf of Aden by the Bab-el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti.

Palau-flagged Asya Energy is heading for Gibraltar, according to Kpler data. It previously called at the Sohar port in Oman, LSEG data showed. It was not immediately clear who is chartering the ship.

Nur Global Shipping manages the ship which is owned by Lule One Services, data on Equasis showed.

Nur Global Shipping did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted on LinkedIn.

Reuters could not find contact information for Lule One Services.

The Asya Energy vessel may soon become the first vessel to sail through the Red Sea passage since January 12, 2024 after waiting around the coast of Oman since mid-January, said Ana Subasic, natural gas and LNG analyst at data and analytics firm Kpler.

"At present, AIS (automatic identification system) signal feed to our platform shows the ballast vessel has set a course towards the Gibraltar checkpoint - although I would take this with a grain of salt, it is too early to be making an accurate prediction," she said.

"We are keeping a very close eye on it and waiting for more ad-hoc raw signals or market sources to feed in."

Leading industry groups have called for urgent action to be taken in the Red Sea to stop attacks on merchant shipping by Houthis.

The UK-owned Rubymar was the first ship sunk by the Houthis. It went down on March 02, about two weeks after being struck by missiles.

 

Yemen targets US aircraft carrier

Yemen's military spokesman says the country's armed forces have targeted US aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to deadly overnight attacks by the United State and its allies on the country.

“The missile force and the naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation targeting the US aircraft carrier ‘Eisenhower’ in the Red Sea,” said Yahya Saree in a televised statement. 

“The operation was carried out with a number of winged and ballistic missiles, the hit was accurate and direct, thanks to Allah,” he added.

Saree said this was a response to aerial strikes by the US and Britain on several targets across the Arab country, which he said targeted civilians in a “blatant violation of all international laws and a full-fledged war crime." 

The US and British warplanes attacked the Yemeni capital Sana’a as well as the governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz.

Yemeni officials say the attacks on Hodeidah targeted the Radio building and the Coast Guard facility and several commercial ships, killing at least 16 people and injuring 41 others.

Call for ending attacks on ships in Red Sea

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities against ships and seafarers navigating through the strategic Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The call comes in response to increasing maritime threats in these crucial waterways.

The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee adopted a resolution in London condemning these acts as "illegal and unjustifiable," highlighting their direct threat to the freedom of navigation and the substantial disruptions they cause to regional and global trade.

This resolution marks the first such formal stance by the IMO member states since the seizure of the MV Galaxy Leader cargo ship by the Yemeni Houthi group in November in the Red Sea.

"Since then, around 50 dangerous and destabilizing maritime attacks have occurred, resulting in the loss of several seafarers' lives, while the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader remain hostages," the agency reported, calling for their "immediate and unconditional release."

The resolution criticized the Houthis' actions for endangering lives, impeding vital humanitarian aid deliveries, increasing the cost of such aid, and destabilizing the region. It also emphasized the importance of resolving the crisis through peaceful dialogue and diplomacy.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez appealed to governments and relevant organizations to assist affected seafarers and to intensify efforts to resolve the crisis. He highlighted the Red Sea's significance as one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, especially for oil and fuel shipments.

Calm in Red Sea linked to ceasefire in Gaza

Iranian ambassador to Beijing, Mohsen Bakhtiar, has asserted that clashes in the Red Sea are a direct result of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, noting that situation in the strategic waterway will only become stable once the regime ceases its crimes against Palestinians.

The diplomat emphasized that if the United States and its allies genuinely seek peace, security, and stability in the region, they must prioritize an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Bakhtiar made the remarks during an interview with Chinese Phoenix TV. He highlighted Iran's efforts from the outset of the conflict to halt the Israeli onslaught. However, he accused the Zionist regime and its supporters of obstructing these efforts and facilitating the ongoing genocide.

Bakhtiar argued that the US vetoing of draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza has led to the escalation of tensions in the region, particularly in the Red Sea.

He condemned Israel's indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent civilians, including attacks on mosques, churches, and hospitals.

Yemen’s armed forces began targeting Israeli ships and Israel-bound vessels passing through the Red Sea shortly after the regime began its latest round of attacks against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Sana’a has said that it would stop the attacks once Israel ends the devastating war in Gaza.

The Arab country also began targeting American and British ships after London and Washington started to directly attack Yemeni soil in support of Israel instead of turning the screw on Zionists.  

The Iranian envoy to China also addressed Israel's April 01, 2024 attack on Iran’s consulate in Damascus. He criticized Western states for refusing to condemn the barbaric act.

“European states and G7 leaders failed to condemn this heinous act while they pretend to be champions of human rights and international law,” he said. 

On a positive note, Bakhtiar emphasized the deep and longstanding ties between Iran and China. He said centuries of amicable relations between the two countries and their people can help Tehran and Beijing further elevate cooperation and collaboration in different areas. 

 

MEI Outlines Expanded US Role to Counter Houthi Red Sea Strikes

The Middle East Institute’s (MEI) Defense and Security Program published a memorandum, addressed to US President Joseph R. Biden, recommending an expanded role for the United States in countering the threat posed to global shipping by the targeting of vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militia. 

The memo, “A Strategy for Countering the Houthi Threat at Sea,” comes in response to the over 30 strikes conducted by Yemen’s Houthi militia on cargo and other vessels transiting the Red Sea since mid-November. It is co-authored by five members of MEI’s Defense and Security Program, including program Director Bilal Y. Saab, Vice Admiral (ret.) Kevin Donegan, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Mick Mulroy, Lieutenant General (ret.) Sam Mundy, and General (ret.) Joseph L. Votel.

The authors call for a continuation of retaliatory strikes by the United States and United Kingdom against Houthi leadership and infrastructure, but argue this strategy is insufficient, and proceed to offer several additional recommendations for the US to protect shipping and counter Iran’s malign activities in the region.

“For the first time in four decades, a core US interest in the region on which successive American presidents have based US Middle East policy — freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce — is increasingly at risk,” said Bilal Saab.

“In our memo to President Biden, we propose a strategy to effectively and sustainably counter the Houthi threat at sea.”

Among the recommendations is the establishment of an interagency effort led by US Central Command (CENTCOM) to deny the Houthis the ability to target Red Sea vessels, including through efforts to interdict Iran’s smuggling of arms to the group as well as through continued strikes on Houthi infrastructure and leadership.

The memo calls on the Biden administration to allow the US 5th Fleet Commander to assert “collective self-defense” of US flagged, owned, crewed, or operated vessels, or ships requesting US protection while transiting the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden. Additionally, the authors call for increased funding for added unmanned surveillance vessels (USV) to patrol Red Sea waters. 

Though calling for an expanded US role, the recommendations also draw attention to international tools at the United States’ disposal, such as partnerships with European and Arab allies, as well as re-investment in the UN Verification Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) tasked with monitoring and facilitating commercial flows to Yemen.

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.

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