Maersk halts all Red Sea transits until further notice

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk has suspended all operations in the Red Sea trade route until further notice after one of its container ships was attacked by the Houthis over the weekend.

PHOTO: A ship transiting through the Suez Canal, with desert sand on both sides. Getty Images

Maersk previously announced a 48-hour halt on all transit through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden after its Singapore-flagged ship Maersk Hangzhou was attacked twice by the Houthis over the weekend. The temporary halt, originally set to end yesterday, has now been extended to an indefinite period.

“An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation,” it said in a statement.

The shipping giant will continue to reroute its vessels bound to the Suez Canal via the Cape of Good Hope, it said.

Maersk vessel was attacked twice over the weekend

The recent attacks on the Maersk Hangzhou by the Houthis in the Red Sea have again raised concerns about maritime security in the region. The vessel was targeted twice over the weekend, first by an aerial attack and then by four Houthi boats.

The Maersk Hangzhou issued a second distress signal after four Houthi-operated boats approached the vessel and opened fire in an attempt to capture it, the company said earlier.

The distress signal led to the intervention of US naval ships – USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely – patrolling the area and their helicopters successfully took down three of the four boats that were attempting to capture Maersk's vessel, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated.

The dispute caused 10 Houthi militants’ deaths, Reuters reported.

The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, in response to Israel's rejection of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Subsequently, ship owners are having to divert their vessels, choosing a longer and costlier journey via the Cape of Good Hope.

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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