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Red Sea Crisis

The latest news and commentary on how the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the global maritime industry and shipping markets.

US calls for multinational naval force to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait

The situation in the Red Sea is a worrying development for international shipping and trade. The US-led initiative to form a multinational naval force could help to deter further attacks and ensure the safe passage of vessels.

Nick Savvides, Europe correspondent

December 12, 2023

2 Min Read
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President Joe Biden is attempting to rally US allies to put together a multinational naval force to protect shipping in the Red Sea and in the Bad Al-Madeb Strait from Houthi threats.

US concerns were heightened following a Houthi spokesperson’s claim, on Saturday, that the movement will target any ship that is heading for an Israeli port regardless of which flag it is flying.

“If Gaza does not receive the food and medicines it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces,” a Houthi spokesperson said on Saturday.

The White House said that a protective force is a “natural response” after Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea. In its latest report the US CentCom reported that the French multi-mission frigate, Languedoc, had brought down two Houthi fired drones, the drones were said to have been fired from Yemen.

The 20-mile-wide entrance to the Red Sea’s southern entrance between Yemen, Eritrea and Djibouti, the Bab al-Mandeb or the gate of tears, has become the focus of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping and, at the extreme northern end of the narrow waterway is the southern reach of the key Suez Canal waterway.

According to the maritime consultancy Alphaliner Houthi Rebel attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea have led some operators to re-route container ships to the much longer, but much safer route around Africa’s Cape Horn.

“Recent acts of violence ranged from boarding the vessel at sea and taking the crew hostage to land based drone strikes against transiting merchant ships,” said the consultant.

Alphaliner said the majority of attacks had taken place in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and that up to 4 December, 12 container vessels had been diverted from the Red Sea Route to the Cape of Good Hope, with another six ships expected to also divert to Cape Horn.

“This mainly concerns vessels on Asia - Europe & Med services. Among the vessels that have already started their diversion are three units of 4,250 teu, three ships of 5,000 - 6,000 teu, four vessels of 15,000 teu and one unit of 19,000 teu,” said Alphaliner.

According to the consultant vessels operating at 18 knots that divert to Cape Horn such as a vessel from Shanghai - Barcelona voyage will increase its journey time from 21 to 32 days. And Shanghai - Rotterdam travel increases from 25 to 33 days.

Unlike Cape diversions at times of low demand, which are mainly aimed at economising on Suez Canal fees, on eastbound services, current re-routing plans will affect both east and westbound voyages.

So far, it remains to be seen whether carriers will deploy additional tonnage to compensate for the longer trips via the Cape, or whether shipping lines will simply skip some departures.

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Suez Canal

About the Author

Nick Savvides

Europe correspondent

Experienced journalist working online, in monthly magazines and daily news coverage. Nick Savvides began his journalistic career working as a freelance from his flat in central London, and has since worked in Athens, while also writing for some major publications including The Observer, The European, Daily Express and Thomson Reuters. 

Most recently Nick joined The Loadstar as the publication’s news editor to develop the profile of the publication, increase its readership and to build a team that will market, sell and report on supply chain issues and container shipping news. 

This was a similar brief to his time at ci-online, the online publication for Containerisation International and Container News. During his time at ci-online Nich developed a team of freelancers and full-time employees increasing its readership substantially. He then moved to International Freighting Weekly, a sister publication, IFW also focused on container shipping, rail and trucking and ports. Both publications were published by Informa. 

Following his spell at Informa Nick joined Reed’s chemical reporting team, ICIS, as the chemical tanker reporter. While at ICIS he also reported on the chemical industry and spent some time on the oil & gas desk. 

Nick has also worked for a time at Lloyd’s Register, which has an energy division, and his role was writing their technical magazine, before again becoming a journalist at The Naval Architect for the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. After eight successful years at RINA, he joined Fairplay, which published a fortnightly magazine and daily news on the website.

Nick's time at Fairplay saw him win the Seahorse Club Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year 2018 awards.

After Fairplay closed, Nick joined an online US start-up called FreightWaves. 

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