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Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG)

The Houthi Group in Yemen reportedly launched 3 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles at a Commercial Shipping Vessel near the Bab al-Mandab Strait roughly 33nm off the Coast of Eritrea, causing no damage to the ship or casualties. In light of the escalating tension against the backdrop of the first direct confrontation between the Yemeni Houthi group and the US Navy in the Red Sea, by 02 January 2024 the Iranian combat destroyer Alborz, accompanied by the military ship Behshad , crossed the Bab al-Mandab Strait , coinciding with intense talks conducted by Houthi spokesman Muhammad Abdel Salam with senior Iranian officials.

Officially, Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran, reports that the Iranian fleet is carrying out routine tasks in international waters to secure shipping lines and confront maritime piracy, in addition to other tasks, while Iranian circles believe that their country’s move came after London’s threat to direct A direct strike against the Iran-aligned Houthi group.

The Iranian move came just hours after a telephone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Abdollahian and his British counterpart, David Cameron, regarding developments in the Red Sea. The latter wrote in a tweet on the “X” platform, “I have made it clear that Iran is a partner in the responsibility for preventing these attacks, given its long-term support for the Houthis.”

The former commander of the Revolutionary Guard, retired Brigadier General Hussein Kanaani Moghaddam, believes that it comes “in response to the militarization of the Red Sea and the foreign forces’ flexing of their muscles in it.” Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Kanaani Moghaddam refers to Muhammad Abdel Salam’s ongoing visit to Tehran, stressing that Tehran will not leave its Houthi allies alone “in the face of Zionist-American arrogance,” and adds that the Islamic Republic has previously warned that it will not allow foreigners to tamper with our region.

Before the formation of the “Prosperity Guardian” coalition to confront the Houthis last month, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned the United States that it “will face exceptional problems if it wants to form an international force to protect navigation in the Red Sea,” and said that “no one can move in the Al-Yad area.” The highest priority belongs to Iran.”

The former leader of the Revolutionary Guard believes that the Red Sea has become redder as a result of the bloodshed of 10 Houthis due to American targeting this week, considering the stability of the Iranian fleet near Bab al-Mandab as carrying a message of support for the Houthis and a message of deterrence for the American coalition and its adventures there, as he described it.

Kanaani continued that the Iranian military move towards the Red Sea, where the Yemeni ally is located, sends a clear warning message to the American and British sides of the consequences of any attack on the Houthis as they are an essential part of the axis of resistance, stressing that Tehran will not start a war in the Red Sea, unless foreign forces take the initiative by attacking its interests.

Kanaani Moghadam pointed out that security in the Red Sea will only be established with the help of the people of the region, not foreign forces, adding that the Houthi group controls the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is the second strategic waterway after the Strait of Hormuz, under the supervision of the Axis of Resistance.

He explained that the Yemeni side is carrying out operations to support the oppressed in Palestine and put pressure on the Zionist enemy to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip , “and does not intend to disrupt maritime navigation there, but rather only targets ships associated with the Zionist entity.” He concluded that all indicators suggest an increase in tension in the waters of the Red Sea during the coming period “in the event that the Zionist entity identifies with the annihilation of the Palestinian people with Western support.”

Kanaani stressed that the Yemeni side will not back down from the pledge it made to support the people of Gaza, and that it is continuing to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait to ships heading to Israel. Therefore, American intervention to confront the Houthis would set fire to the already tense region.

Ali Bekdali, professor of international relations at Shahid Beheshti University, sees his country’s decision to move its naval fleet towards the Red Sea as “a show of force and a message of support for the Houthis,” explaining that the “Alborz” destroyer is very old, and although it has been modernized over the past years, it Its capabilities are not up to par with the international fleets present there.

In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, the Iranian academic ruled out any real confrontation between Iranian and Western warships near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, stressing that Tehran and Western capitals, led by Washington, do not want escalation at the present time. Bekdali believed that his country had received Western messages calling for Tehran to put pressure on the Houthis to reduce tension in the Red Sea, stressing that his country, in return, called for Western pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing war on Gaza, and that Tehran might deal positively with any Western step aimed at doing so.

On 18 December 2023 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III made a statement on Ensuring Freedom of Navigation in the Red Sea. "The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law. The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade. Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.

"This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.

"Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity."

Since 1990, the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) had been engaged in anti-piracy missions. More than 30 nations, mostly Western but also including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore and Turkey, took part and usually kept at least four warships on station, rotating every three to four months. In 2022, a new force, the CTF-153, took over. When the latest war in Gaza started, the force was comprised of US destroyers USN Carney and USN Mason, Japanese destroyer JDS Akebono and a South Korean one, ROKS Yang Man Chun.

Houthi militants in Yemen are believed to have carried out nearly a dozen attacks on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea, including companies they believe are linked to Israel. In response to the aggression on the Gaza Strip after the attack by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). ) on October 7th. It is almost certain that the White House did not immediately have a concrete action plan for involvement in the Gaza conflict, but the decision to deploy to the region naval and air power capable of taking on all potential adversaries was militarily prudent.

Meanwhile, the White House also engaged in diplomacy. The US and Iran exchanged indirect statements, assuring each other they did not seek confrontation. Iran announced that it had not been informed of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, and the US did everything to avoid alienating Iran. In return, Tehran nudged the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah into refraining from a full-scale offensive. The de-escalation seemed to be working.

But then the Houthis, considered to be an Iranian proxy in much the same way as Hezbollah, decided to attack in the Red Sea, demanding Israel end its war on Gaza. They launched long-range missiles at Israel and naval missiles at US Navy destroyers that had entered the Red Sea. Both operations failed, with all missiles and drones being on several occasions intercepted and shot down. The US Navy was convinced that its two destroyers could handle the situation, possibly being reinforced in time by a couple more.

But when tankers and container ships in the Red Sea started taking hits almost daily, the escalation was undeniable. As a safety precaution, several international shipping companies said that they had informed their ships not to enter the Strait of Bab al-Mandab which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. Four of the five largest container companies in the world, representing 53% of global container trade, suspended their operations in the Red Sea, which represented a major shock to the global economy. Many of the world’s biggest shipping companies shifted from going through the Suez Canal to the longer and more expensive route around Africa. Commercial carriers now introduced a $700 surcharge on each container sailing the longer route.

Counting just those laden with Asian manufactured goods heading to Europe, the additional cost is a staggering $2bn per month. That increase gets passed on to the final customers – leading to inflation. In addition, the longer travel will soon cause distribution delays, shortages and general disruption of the economy, which every nation will feel.

Operation Prosperity Garden brought together forces from the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain to address the challenges in the region and ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The forces would operate under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of Task Force 153, a U.S. Navy-led initiative focused on maritime security in the Red Sea. Austin further convened a virtual ministerial from Bahrain with ministers, chiefs of defense and senior representatives from more than 40 countries as well as representatives from the European Union and NATO to discuss the increased threat to maritime security in the Red Sea.

On 19 December 2023 Secretary Austin convened a virtual ministerial with Ministers, Chiefs of Defense, and senior representatives from 43 countries, as well as the European Union and NATO, to discuss the increased threat to maritime security in the Red Sea.

The Secretary and senior Department of Defense leadership, including the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Kurilla, and the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Vice Admiral Cooper, briefed participants that the Houthis had conducted over 100 one-way uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and ballistic missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different nations. They highlighted that the Houthis had taken the Merchant Vessel GALAXY LEADER and its 25-member international crew hostage on November 19; the crew remain unjustly detained in Yemen. Participants discussed how the attacks are a flagrant violation of international law, and the Houthis must cease their aggressive actions. Currently, 10-15% of global trade passes through the Red Sea, and international shipping companies are having to reroute through the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to the delivery of key goods and materials, including oil and gas.

To address this unprecedented series of attacks, the Secretary urged participants to join U.S.-led and other international initiatives and work with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) and the 39-member Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) to restore security in the Red Sea to deter future Houthi aggression. Secretary Austin pointed to CMF's Task Force 153—charged with international maritime security and capacity-building in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden—as an existing multi-lateral platform that could be leveraged to deter attacks under the CMF. He reiterated that the international community is faced with an unprecedented global challenge that demands collective action. The United States will continue to consult and work alongside allies and partners, who share the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Charles Dunn, former official atthe White Houseand the US State Department and expert at the Arab Institute in Washington, “Attacking ships in the Red Sea increases the cost of the conflict in Gaza to the international community, while realizing the exposure to significant direct retaliation from Israel andUnited States".

For his part, Trita Parsi, Vice President of the Quincy Policy Institute and lecturer at Georgetown University in Washington, tweeted on the “X” platform: By saying, “Not a single country in the Red Sea agreed to join the American coalition to protect it. Only one Arab country, Bahrain, joined. What does this tell us about the appeal of PresidentJoe Biden's diplomacy? What would the coalition have looked like if Biden had supported the Gaza ceasefire?". It was clear that there were no countries bordering the Red Sea. They are: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt an dSudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea. and Israel.

In December 2022, the Egyptian Navy assumed command of a new naval division formed by the US Fifth Fleet under the name “Task Force 153.” It was established in 2019 by 34 countries to protect maritime shipping from attacks by Iran. Egypt leads patrols in the Red Sea and the waters off the coast of Yemen to enhance surveillance activities and prohibit the transfer of weapons and drugs. According to the Pentagon's plans, Cairois now in a good position to participate in a collective American-led effort against Iran and its allies.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, as well as for consumer goods.

The oil giant, BP, had suspended all oil shipping operations through the Red Sea after recent attacks on ships by the Houthis. The company blamed the “deteriorating security situation,” and many shipping companies suspended their flights as the attacks continued. Evergreen Line, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, announced that it would no longer transport Israeli shipments through the Red Sea. It explained, “For the safety of the ships and the crews working on them, we have decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli goods with immediate effect, and we have instructed our container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.”

Instead of using the Bab el-Mandab Strait, ships will now have to take a longer route around South Africa, which could add about 10 days to the journey and cost millions of dollars. Experts estimate that about 30% of global container trade passes through the Suez Canal. Oil and natural gas prices rose sharply 18 December 2023, and oil recorded sharp gains on the news. Brent crude, the most important global index, rose by 2.7% to $78.64 per barrel, while US oil rose by 2.8% to $73.44 per barrel.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), whose geographical scope extends from Pakistan in the east to Egypt in the west, issued a statement published on the “X” platform, confirming there were attacks yesterday on ships in the Red Sea. It said, “On December 18, around nine in the morning (Sanaa time), two Houthi armed attacks occurred on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea.” The chemical ship, the oil tanker SWAN ATLANTIC, was attacked by a unidirectional attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.

CENTCOM added that the Cayman Islands, which flies the Sawan Atlantic flag, reported that the ship had been affected and requested assistance, and the nearest American warship responded to it to assess the damage. The Central Command continued, “At approximately the same time, the cargo ship MF Clara reported... An explosion occurred near its location. This attack is separate from the attack on Sawan Atlantic. There was no support request or damage report. No injuries were reported during either incident.”

There were reports of alternatives that the Biden administration was considering to respond to the Houthis after their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and the Axios news website quoted American officials as saying, “The Biden administration recently sent messages to the Houthis in Yemen through several channels warning them of the consequences of not stopping their attacks on ships.” And against Israel.

Researcher Michael Knights, from the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, considered that during the Gaza war, the Houthis emerged as “the most risk-tolerant member of the Iranian resistance axis, especially since they pose a clear threat to international freedom of navigation.” Charles Dunn, a former White House official, suggested that there was “tactical coordination between Tehran and the Houthis, and perhaps some agreement on strategy, which are not far-fetched accusations.”

Since the start of the Israeli operation in Gaza, the Houthis had pledged to support the Palestinian resistance in all possible ways, and indeed several medium-range missiles were launched, which were shot down before they hit their targets in Israel. On December 9, the Houthis threatened to target all ships heading to Tel Aviv, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

Weeks ago, the Houthis shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, and on December 4, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “We are in talks with other countries about a maritime task force that includes ships from partner countries, as well as The United States to ensure safe passage in the Red Sea.”

Some members of Congress have called on the Biden administration to reclassify the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued a statement saying, “By prioritizing politics over security, this administration has emboldened the Houthis, enabled them to develop more advanced weapons, enabled them to deepen relations with Iran, and consolidate their control over millions of innocent Yemenis.” He added, “It is clear that the Houthis pose a threat to Yemen, to our partners throughout the Middle East, to American soldiers and citizens in the region, and to freedom of navigation and trade.” Globalism. We must end this policy of appeasement and be serious about actually responding to the Houthi threat, by designating them a foreign terrorist organization, instead of empowering them.”

Washington recently imposed new sanctions on people who support the Houthis financially, with the White House blaming Iran for supplying them with weapons and training to use them.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder at a Pentagon news conference 21 December 2023 detailed how Operation Prosperity Guardian will work and called on the Houthis, an Iranian proxy group, to cease targeting international commerce. There have been solid results: To date more than 20 nations have signed on to participate, Ryder said. "In the days ahead, the United States will continue to consult closely with our allies and partners who share the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation, and we expect to see the coalition continue to grow," he said. The operation is a global answer to an international issue and the United States will continue to "work with this coalition of the willing where countries will be able to contribute what they feel that they can," Ryder said. Some of these contributions are military assets like ships and aircraft and other contributions include staff and other types of support. "It's very important to understand that the Houthis aren't attacking just one country, they're really attacking the international community," Ryder said. "They are attacking the economic well-being and prosperity of nations around the world. So in effect, they really become bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea."

To further this analogy, the forces assigned to Operation Prosperity Guardian, will serve the highway patrol in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden "to respond to and assist as necessary commercial vessels that are transiting this vital international waterway," the general said. "It's a defensive coalition meant to reassure global shipping and mariners that the international community is there to help with safe passage." The area is large, roughly the distance between Boston and Washington, D.C., and the operation will work to assure safe passage all along the way.

"Last thing I'd say on this is that the Houthis need to stop these attacks, and they need to stop them now," Ryder said. "That's clear and simple. They really need to ask themselves if they've bitten off more than they can chew, when it comes to taking on the entire international community and negatively impacting billions and billions, billions of dollars in global trade, economic prosperity and international law."

The markets demanded action and the US optimistically believed it could assemble a robust force of up to 20 participating nations to carry out Operation Prosperity Guardian. Within days, high hopes were drowned in refusals. The Pentagon believed that China, a country with major interests in keeping open the sea lanes that take its exports to Europe, would join in, especially as it already has a self-supported task force of one destroyer and one frigate in the western Indian Ocean.

But Beijing replied that it had no interest in joining the OPG. Refusals also came from major Arab navies straddling Red Sea shores: Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They hinted that they did not want to be seen engaging an Arab country in this situation. The US apparently showed understanding for their position, confident that it will have no problem in attracting enough ships.

The United States-led multinational naval force that was to protect and secure maritime traffic through the Red Sea from attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels appeared significantly weakened – even if not quite dead in the water – before it ever sailed together. Less than a week after the announcement of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), France, Italy and Spain pulled out of the nearly fully-created force touted to include warships from more than 10 nations. Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea practically collapsed as France, Spain, and Italy all announced their Withdrawal from the U.S. Command Structure for the Operation, with the three states indicating they will only conduct further Maritime Operations under the Command of NATO and/or the European Union and not the United States. That leaves the US with the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Greece, Canada and Australia as nations that are still, officially, on board with the OPG.

The decision to cobble together what is essentially an anti-Houthi coalition was almost forced on Washington. In early November, a US destroyer shot down several missiles fired from Yemen but the US tried to maintain a business-as-usual pose and not advertise that it was engaging the Yemeni group. As long as the combative Houthis tried, unsuccessfully, to lob missiles at Israel, a country attacking Yemeni’s Arab and Muslim brethren, the US could maintain that the whole affair was not a serious regional escalation. But when their repeated attacks on ships headed to and from the Suez Canal threatened the security of international maritime routes, the US was forced to act.

The US Navy already had a huge number of ships in the region, so why would it need to ask friendly nations to contribute more? One reason is that even with such a large force, the US cannot spare many ships for the task. The other is political unwillingness to be the only nation attacking Yemen as it would likely be interpreted, especially in the Middle East, as direct military action in aid of Israel.

US political and military dilemmas are largely conditioned by geography and Yemen’s control of the strategically important choke point where the Indian Ocean funnels into the Red Sea. The Bab el-Mandeb passage is only 29km (16 nautical miles) wide at its narrowest point. Its approaches are bristling with warships: More than 35 from at least 12 nations that do not border the Red Sea are now in positions from which they could reach the strait in less than 24 hours. Nations along its African and Arabian shores had at least as many in their harbors.

The first reaction of the merchant marines came on 24 December 2023 when the Danish shipping major Maersk announced that its vessels would resume transit through the Red Sea under OPG escort. If OPG can provide safe passage, it would boost its support could influence conteiner companies like MSC and CGN, petroleum giant BP and others to return to the shortest route. But Maersk made it clear that it could return to the longer route around Africa depending on how safety conditions evolve.

Regardless of the number of participating countries, Operation Prosperity Guardian will not be just a simple act of escorting ships through the southern Red Sea. In the last few days there have been several worrying signs of a potential major escalation that could easily open another front involving major regional actors.

U.S. Central Command [@CENTCOM] reported 26 December 2023 "U.S. assets, to include the USS LABOON (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, shot down twelve one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis over a 10 hour period which began at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26. There was no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries."

U.S. Central Command [@CENTCOM] reported On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second distress call in less than 24 hours reporting being under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats. The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew served and small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANGZHOU, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the vessel. A contract embarked security team on the MAERSK HANZGHOU returned fire.

U.S. helicopters from the USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69) and GRAVELY (DDG 107) responded to the distress call and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms. The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. There was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.

The Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will return to its home port, the US Navy said 01 January 2024, ending its deployment to the eastern Mediterranean, which started in support of Israel after Hamas's October 7 attack. The nuclear-powered Ford, the Navy's newest carrier with over 4,000 personnel and eight squadrons of aircraft, became a powerful symbol of American support by rushing closer to Israel after the Palestinian militant group's attack. "Immediately following Hamas's brutal attack on Israel, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group was ordered to the eastern Mediterranean to contribute to our regional deterrence and defence posture," the Navy said in a statement.

In the face of tension in the Red Sea, some shipping companies instructed ships to sail instead around southern Africa, which is a slower and therefore more expensive route. The following are the measures taken by companies s of 10 Jsanuary 2023:

  • "CH Robinson" Global logistics group CH Robinson said on December 22 that it had rerouted more than 25 ships to sail around the Cape of Good Hope over the previous week, and that number is likely to continue to increase. It added, "It is expected that traffic will continue to be canceled at ports or areas on ship routes and prices will rise for many trade movements in the first quarter of 2024."
  • "Claves Combination Carriers" Norway-based Klavenes Combination Carriers, a tanker fleet operator, said on December 28 that it was unlikely that any of its ships would sail in the Red Sea unless the situation improves.
  • "CMA-CGM" The French shipping group CMA-CGM said on January 5 that it had not changed its plans announced last December to gradually increase the number of ships crossing the Suez Canal. The company previously changed the course of many ships to take the Cape of Good Hope route.
  • "Euronav" The Belgian oil tanker company Euronav said on December 18 that it would avoid the Red Sea until further notice.
  • "Evergreen" Taiwanese container shipping company Evergreen said on December 18 that its ships heading to Red Sea ports will sail to nearby safe waters pending further notice, while the course of ships scheduled to pass through the Red Sea will be changed to the Cape of Good Hope route. Temporarily stopped accepting Israeli goods for transportation.
  • "Frontline" The Front Line oil tanker group, based in Norway, said on December 18 that its ships would avoid passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
  • "Gram Car Carriers" The Norwegian shipping company Gram Car Carriers, which specializes in car truck carriers, said on December 21 that its ships will not pass through the Red Sea.
  • "Hapag-Lloyd" The German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd said on Tuesday that it has decided to continue avoiding the Red Sea, and will instead divert ships away from the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope. The company will re-evaluate the situation again on the 15th of this month. Hapag-Lloyd said that it incurred costs amounting to millions of euros during the period between 18 and 31 December last year as a result of the diversion of 25 ships due to tension in the Red Sea.
  • "HMM" The South Korean container shipping company HMM said on December 19 that it had ordered its ships that normally use the Suez Canal to reroute their route to the Cape of Good Hope.
  • "Hogue Autoliners" The Norwegian shipping company Hoegh Autoliners said on December 20 that it would stop crossings in the Red Sea after the Norwegian Maritime Authority raised the alert level for the southern part of the sea to the highest level.
  • "Linnaeus Wilhelmsen" The Norwegian Linnaeus Wilhelmsen group said on December 19 that it would stop all its trips in the Red Sea until further notice. The group stated that changing the routing of ships to the Cape of Good Hope will increase the journey time from one week to two weeks.
  • "Maersk" The Danish shipping group Maersk said on January 2 that all of its ships will continue to avoid the Red Sea route until further notice. On December 31, the group suspended all sailing operations in the Red Sea for 48 hours after Houthi militants attacked the Maersk Hangzhou container ship. Maersk diverted 4 of 5 southbound container ships on January 4, returning them to the Suez Canal for the long journey around Africa.
  • "MSC" The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said on December 16 that its ships would not pass through the Suez Canal, and that it had already diverted some of them to the Cape of Good Hope, a day after two ballistic missiles were fired at one of its ships.
  • "Ocean Network Express" (ONE), a Japanese joint venture between Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, said on December 19 that it had decided to reroute the ships away from... Suez Canal and the Red Sea, and instead its ships will sail around the Cape of Good Hope or temporarily stop their trips and move to safe areas.
  • "Orient Overseas Container Line", based in Hong Kong, said on December 21 that it had ordered its ships to change course or stop sailing to the waters of the Red Sea. The shipping company owned by Orient Overseas International Ltd. also stopped accepting goods to and from Israel until further notice.

Foreign ministers of the European Union reached a tentative agreement to start a naval mission in the Red Sea, EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell announced on 22 January 2024, after a ministerial meeting in Brussels. Germany, France, and Italy have proposed the step in response to requests from the Netherlands, whose merchant shipping has been impacted by the months-long Houthi attacks on vessels linked to Israel.

“We have agreed, in principle, to start the EU mission in the Red Sea,” Borrell said after the meeting, according to the Italian news agency ANSA. “Now we have to work on unanimity as to when (it will start).” The European External Action Service aims to have the mission established by February 19 and start operations soon afterward, Reuters has reported, citing anonymous diplomatic sources in Brussels.

According to an internal document leaked 22 January 2024 to several media outlets, the mission would involve “at least three” naval vessels. A diplomatic source told the German outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) that the preferred option would be to expand Operation Agenor, the French-led monitoring mission in the Strait of Hormuz. Spain has made it clear it will not participate in the mission, but Madrid is unwilling to veto it altogether.




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