The
Middle East remains a dangerous, red-hot cauldron for merchant shipping with
many actors from various shorelines impinging on the safe and free navigation between
Asia and Europe.
The
Houthis in Yemen have continued to attack, despite repeated strikes from US and
UK forces against them, while Iranian special forces have completed their
latest hijacking, and elsewhere more
dhows have been abducted by reemerging pirates in Somalia.
US
fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile the Houthis fired toward
the American destroyer USS Laboon yesterday 14 Jan while on Friday the
Houthis mistakenly targeted a Russian ‘dark’ tanker, believing it had links to
the UK. Other suspicious approaches were reported over the weekend too with the
Houthis promising retaliation for recent
strikes by US and UK forces.
More and
more ships are shunning the Suez Canal, something most acutely felt in the
container sector, but also spreading to other segments. Qatar, for instance, has now halted sending gas shipments via the
Suez, since the US and UK attacks on Friday.
More
naval assets are heading to the volatile region with Germany the latest nation
to join the trade protection initiative. Berlin has announced it is sending the
Hessen frigate to the Red Sea, joining a host of other nations.