Several leading shipping companies have suspended traffic due to pro-Iranian Houthi attacks on merchant ships passing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Several countries are discussing possible responses to these attacks.
According to information from US government circles, the cargo ship "Swan Atlantic" was attacked in the Red Sea from an area controlled by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Several missiles were fired at the ship, insiders told the news agency Reuters.
The destroyer of the US Navy "USS Carney" responded to the call for help from the mentioned cargo ship and headed towards it.
Due to increased similar attacks, more and more large companies are suspending shipping through the important maritime corridor through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
After the companies "Maersk" and "Hapag Lloyd", MSC, the largest container carrier in the world, as well as the Thai company "Evregreen", which also announced that it will no longer transport Israeli goods, have also done so.
"For the safety of our sailors, we have decided not to use the Suez Canal again until the route through the Red Sea is safe again," MSC said on Sunday. On Friday, two ships of this company were damaged in attacks from the Yemeni coast.
Support from Norway and NATO
Norway has previously announced that it is ready to provide naval officers, and support is being considered by other NATO members.
About 15 percent of the world's maritime transport takes place through the Suez Canal, the shortest route between Europe and Asia.
The Norwegian energy group "Equinor" announced that it had diverted "several ships" from the Red Sea.
The rebels continue their attacks
Earlier, the US Navy announced that it had destroyed 14 drones that were intended either to attack Israel or to attack ships believed by Yemeni rebels to be sailing to or from Israeli ports. One British warship also destroyed one missile.
A representative of the unrecognized Houthi rebel government in Yemen, which is backed by Iran, has said that it will continue the fight against Israel by also attacking ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait - as long as Israel's attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip continue. He also threatened counterattacks in the event of an attack on Yemen.
Protection along the lines of Atalanta near Somalia?
The US Defense Minister, Lloyd Austin, who was in the Middle East region over the weekend, said that the Houthi attacks have become "an international problem that must be solved", and that he is discussing this topic with partners, including the British Defense Minister.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany is also "invited to join the dialogue" on this issue.
The director of the German Shipping Association, Martin Kreger, said that US, UK and French warships are present in the region and that it would be "logical for Germany to join as well".
Kreger proposed a similar principle of protection as in securing ships from Somali pirates in the "Atalanta" mission in which Germany also participated from 2008 to 2022.
Fear of spreading conflict
Insurance premiums have also increased, as the affected area in the Red Sea is considered very risky.
The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, has shaken the region and raised fears of a wider conflict.
ZS/DW/VOA
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