Recently, there have been frequent attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and nearby waters. A number of container shipping companies have announced the suspension of all container ships in the Red Sea and nearby waters.
On December 16, CMA CGM Group, the world's third-largest container shipping company, issued a statement saying that it announced the suspension of all its container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice due to heightened concerns about the security situation in the Red Sea and nearby waters. In addition, Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, has also suspended all sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, until further notice, according to Reuters 15**. German shipbuilder Hapag-Lloyd also announced on the 15th that it would suspend the navigation of its container ships in the Red Sea until December 18.
Since the outbreak of the new Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly claimed strikes against targets in Israel, and the Houthis have repeatedly attacked targets in Red Sea waters using missiles and drones. Since mid-November, the Houthis have expanded their strikes against Israeli targets, beginning strikes on "Israeli-linked vessels" in the Red Sea and escalating related threats. Recently, a number of cargo ships have been attacked in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and nearby waters.
The Suez Canal, the Red Sea, is one of the busiest waterways in the world, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located at the southern end of the Red Sea, connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and is a strategic point for ships traveling between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Analysts are worried that if tensions in the Red Sea and nearby waters intensify, the shipping industry will be further disrupted, and the international ** chain may be impacted.
*: CCTV News.