AMZ123 has learned that, according to foreign media, shipping security risks in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz have risen again amid Houthi and US-Iran conflicts.

On August 12, Houthi forces attacked a cargo ship near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing six people, the first reported fatal attack on commercial shipping near the Red Sea since last autumn.

The attack comes as major container lines such as Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd had gradually resumed some Red Sea routes, making regional security again a key factor for Asia-Europe shipping.

The vessel, the Tihamah, is Egyptian-owned and Tanzania-flagged. Yemen's transport ministry confirmed four crew died, while the coast guard said two rescuers were killed in a second attack after they arrived. Pakistan's foreign minister said three victims were Pakistani; Yemen said one Indonesian also died.

The attack also injured 10 people, including seven crew, two coast guard personnel and one National Resistance Force (NRF) member. Yemen said the crew lost control of the ship after the attack.

Houthi-linked media later said the target was a vessel carrying Saudi military equipment, but the group has not officially commented on casualty figures. It had previously announced a blockade on Saudi ships passing through the area and extended it to any vessel trying to call at Saudi ports.

Hours after the Red Sea incident, a US Navy helicopter fired missiles at a container ship in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM said the Panama-flagged Vela Nova ignored warnings and tried to pass through the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. The crew abandoned ship and all were confirmed safe.

CENTCOM said that since the blockade was announced in April, 55 commercial vessels that tried to breach it were rerouted, three non-compliant ships were disabled, and two were boarded.

Since the US reimposed the blockade on July 14, the Vela Nova is the third ship attacked by the US military and the 12th overall. It recently called at Mumbai and Port Klang and was sailing from Nhava Sheva to Jebel Ali.

The two incidents show that Iran-related conflict is spreading to two key commercial waterways: the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Both are critical for international trade, and shipping lines face higher security risks even as they resume operations.

CMA CGM, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have gradually resumed some Red Sea routes. COSCO Shipping plans to send its own vessels through Bab el-Mandeb in August, its first passage in two years. The attack could again increase rerouting risks and affect cargo flows between Asia and the Red Sea.

Last September, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea hit the Dutch cargo ship Minervagracht twice, killing one crew member, the last reported fatal Houthi attack before this incident.

The Houthis suspended their roughly two-year campaign against commercial shipping last November after the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, but resumed attacks last month after the US announced a blockade on Saudi shipping.

From late 2023, Houthi attacks near the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb prompted major carriers to avoid the Suez Canal and divert around the Cape of Good Hope. Even after the pause last autumn, most did not resume Red Sea routes due to safety risks.

However, Suez Canal transits began recovering in early July, and some carriers started redeploying services.

In the week ending July 12, 32 container ships passed through the Suez Canal in both directions, with a three-week average of 34, up from 26 in the previous three weeks. Strait of Hormuz transits remain low: 15 ships were confirmed on August 12, up from 9 the day before.

Rising Red Sea risks could also affect Asia-Red Sea cargo flows. On July 23, the Houthis claimed attacks on two Saudi tankers, Encelia and Layla. Saudi officials and UKMTO confirmed Encelia was hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire; the Layla claim was not independently confirmed. Brent crude briefly rose to $100 per barrel for the first time since May.

The Strait of Hormuz carries about 20% of global oil supply, while the Bab el-Mandeb handled about 7% of global oil output in June. Further restrictions could affect crude prices and bunker fuel costs, and in turn container shipping costs.

Vespucci Maritime CEO Lars Jensen has said that if Bab el-Mandeb truly closed, cargo already sailing from Asia to the Red Sea could be forced to discharge at other ports, leading to goods sent to the "wrong ports."

As risks rise in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, the Arctic route is drawing attention. Chinese container line Sea Legend plans to launch a weekly "Polar Silk Road" service on August 12 along Russia's northern coast, linking Ningbo with Felixstowe. It would be the first regular Arctic container service.

Sea Legend expects the route to cut the usual China-UK transit of about 40 days by roughly half when Arctic conditions allow. Linerlytica data shows more than 25 container ships are planned for the Northern Sea Route this year, a potential record.

But the Arctic route still faces major limits. Maersk completed one Arctic voyage in 2018 but later ruled it out as a regular service; Hapag-Lloyd and MSC hold similar views. Western lines already use the Cape route, so their incentive to use the Arctic is limited. Russia also claims jurisdiction over parts of the Northern Sea Route, and foreign vessels need permits.

Overall, as the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz face geopolitical conflict, carriers, shippers and supply chains may need to reassess route choices, transit times and alternative port arrangements. Whether the Arctic route becomes a long-term alternative depends on navigation conditions, permits and operating costs.

Author: Summer/AMZ123
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Source: Cross-border logistics news
Original link: https://www.amz123.com/t/ujsCeGFW