Maersk, a major shipping company, announced on Sunday it is preparing to resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden amid the Houthis’ ongoing attacks against commercial vehicles.
The shipping giant was among a group of companies that temporarily rerouted its vessels to avoid the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, both of which are off the coast of Yemen, due to the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group in the country, who have carried out more than a dozen missile and drone attacks against commercial vessels since mid-October.
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The Department of Defense is leading a newly formed coalition of countries, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect vessels in those waterways to ensure their safe passage.
“With the [Operation Prosperity Guardian] initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound,” Masersk said in a statement on Sunday. “We are currently working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit and for this to happen as soon as operationally possible. While doing so, ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in handling the challenging situation in the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden area.”
The company said the “overall risk in the area is not eliminated at this stage” and affirmed they “will not hesitate to re-evaluate the situation and once again initiate diversion plans if we deem it necessary for the safety of our seafarers.”
DOD’s international coalition to safeguard commercial vessels has more than 20 international participants, though some countries have opted to remain anonymous. The Pentagon has described the initiative as a “defensive coalition” and compared what they would be doing in the Red Sea to “highway patrol.”
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The Houthis began these attacks in response to Israel’s war in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that left roughly 1,200 people dead. Israel’s responding military campaign has already resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction, displacement, and death, which has prompted criticism from a long list of world leaders, non-profits, and international bodies, from allies and enemies alike. Houthi leaders have said the task force will not deter them from carrying out these attacks.
U.S. officials have said Iran has provided the Houthis with the critical intelligence needed for them to launch these attacks.
