Saudi Arabia on Thursday held the first planning session for its proposed Red Sea maritime defense coalition which would secure the vital trading passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden against piracy and terrorism, primarily from the Iran-backed Houthi separatists of Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Iran are reportedly considering a plan to extort “fees” for safe passage of international shipping vessels in the Red Sea, modeled on Iran’s plans to collect ransoms for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday threatened to cut off all supplies of Middle Eastern oil to the rest of the world, in retaliation for the restored U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
A report published this week suggests pirates from Somalia are once again threatening commercial shipping in the Red Sea, reportedly working with the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen to menace a trillion-dollar flow of seaborne oil.
The government of Somalia on Thursday announced Israeli ships are no longer allowed to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital passage that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said his nation is ready to enter into a full security and economic partnership with the United States, arguing that it occupies what he called “perhaps the most strategically positioned territory in the region” — positioned along a maritime corridor that carries 30 percent of global container traffic, with abundant critical minerals and a stable, pro-Western foothold in a volatile corner of the world.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar declared it a “great privilege” to conduct Israel’s first official diplomatic visit to Somaliland, using the historic trip to underscore that Jerusalem alone will decide “whom it recognizes and with whom it maintains diplomatic relations.”
Shipping giant Maersk said on Tuesday that it was close to resuming shipping through the Suez Canal almost two years after terrorist attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen forced many transport companies to avoid the route through the Red Sea that leads to the canal.
Yemen Houthi rebels claimed responsibility early on Wednesday, underlining the range of their weaponry and their campaign targeting shipping.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen on Tuesday threatened to impose “sanctions” against 13 American oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Marathon Petroleum.
Danish shipping giant Maersk posted an update on the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden situation on Friday that said the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab-el-Mandeb strait are still too dangerous for commercial vessels, despite promises by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen to discontinue their attacks.
U.S. Navy warships shot down a barrage of Houthi terrorist cruise missiles and drones launched Friday from Yemen at the shipping lanes of the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen claimed on Sunday to have shot down another expensive U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen took responsibility on Tuesday for attacking the container ship Maersk Sentosa in the Arabian Sea.
Vincent Clerc, CEO of Danish shipping giant Maersk, informed his customers that he expects Iran-backed Houthi terrorism to continue disrupting Red Sea shipping into the third quarter of 2024, and perhaps beyond.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that a Palau-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated bulk carrier called MV Verbena was sailing through the Gulf of Aden when it was hit by two anti-ship missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen announced on Thursday they had targeted three more commercial vessels with missiles and drones.
Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk announced on Tuesday that it will continue to avoid Red Sea shipping lanes for the “foreseeable future” due to terrorist attacks by the Iran-sponsored Houthi insurgents of Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents resume terrorist attacks against Red Sea shipping after a two-week pause.
The leader of the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen says the terror campaign against Red Sea shipping is “continuing, escalating, and effective.”
A string of Houthi missile and drone attacks demonstrates the ineffectiveness of President Biden’s “Operation Prosperity Guardian.”
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen damaged a British-registered cargo vessel badly enough to make the crew abandon the ship.
Insurance costs for Red Sea transit have risen by up to 50 percent since the Houthi terrorists began attacking commercial vessels.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen attacked the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely, which intercepted their missile.
The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen launched a missile at a tanker carrying Russian fuel through the Gulf of Aden on Saturday.
Danish shipping giant Maersk suspended U.S.-flagged Red Sea shipping after the latest Houthi missile attack.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said Houthi claims of attacking an American cargo ship are “patently false.”
The Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen’s legitimate government, said global powers should fund its “ground forces” against the Houthis.
The Indian Navy rescued a U.S.-owned merchant ship from a drone attack launched by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen.
BP on Monday joined the growing list of companies that have halted or restricted shipping through the Red Sea due to terrorist attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen.
A large container ship was struck by a projectile fired from Yemen, causing some cargo to fall overboard and setting a fire on the ship.
The deployment follows the seizure of an Israeli-linked cargo vessel by Iranian-backed Yemeni Huthis in the Red Sea on November 19.
