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 danger zone despite the carrier’s saying they had re-routed vessels around the African Cape.
Continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, including a missile strike on a Norwegian chemical tanker, have prompted more vessel operators to halt Suez transits or divert vessels around the African Cape.
The US is launching a multi-national security initiative – Operation Prosperity Guardian – to protect shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from attacks by Houthi militia.