2024-01-16 04:26:51
2024-01-16 12:26 United News Network 24 hours around the corner Gibraltar Eagle.Photo/Associated Press
【2024. 1. 16 Yemen／United States】
The Houthis attack US merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden: Ignoring British and US threats, will the Red Sea shipping crisis expand?
“The Houthis attack US merchant ships, cannot be deterred by the US-UK joint action?” The Yemeni Houthis launched a missile in the Gulf of Aden on January 15 and hit a US merchant ship, the “Gibraltar Eagle”; this This attack did not cause casualties or major damage. However, the United States and Britain launched joint military operations against the Houthis last week, including air and sea offensives, dispatching Tomahawk cruise missiles, fighter jets, etc., while the Houthis have vowed to continue Attack in the Red Sea. The attack was also the first time a ship was attacked in the Gulf of Aden rather than in the narrow southern Red Sea, showing that the Houthis appear not to be intimidated by coalition military exercises. The continued disruption of the Red Sea shipping lanes has heightened concerns that the next wave of energy prices and inflation is coming.
The U.S. Central Command stated on January 15 that the Houthi Army launched an anti-ship ballistic missile to attack the U.S.-owned and operated bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle. The Houthi Army has admitted that it was responsible for the attack.
According to Eagle Bulk Shipping, the owner of the Gibraltar Eagle, the ship was attacked 160 kilometers offshore in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was carrying steel products. The attack caused a fire in the cargo hold, but there were no casualties and limited damage to the cargo hold. At present, The Gibraltar Eagle can still sail stably and is sailing away from the Red Sea area.
The Houthis’ continued attacks after the US and UK military operations mean that the Red Sea shipping crisis remains unresolved.Photo/Archyde.com
Just last week, the United States and the United Kingdom launched a joint military operation against the Houthis. U.S. President Biden issued a statement on January 11 stating: “This defensive action follows diplomatic negotiations and the Houthis’ escalating attacks on commercial ships. “This action sends a clear signal that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile forces to jeopardize the freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most important commercial shipping lanes.”
The Red Sea waterway accounts for about 30% of global container volume and 12% of total transportation volume. The Houthi army has continued to attack merchant ships passing through the Red Sea since November. It claims that the Red Sea merchant ships it attacks are connected to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. As a result, various freight companies around the world have rerouted Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, lengthening sailing times and soaring freight rates.
In the joint military operation, U.S. warships launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and also dispatched fighter jets. The attack locations included Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, and Red Sea ports controlled by the Houthi army. The United Kingdom dispatched four fighter planes and air strikes bombed two Houthi army strongholds; “Archyde.com” cited the US intelligence agency’s assessment that the joint military operation destroyed about a quarter of the Houthi army’s weapons inventory.
However, after the joint military operation, the Houthi army still stated that it would continue to launch attacks and pointed out that it would regard “all US and British ships and warships participating in the invasion of our country as hostile targets.”
Although the Gibraltar Eagle does not belong to Israel, it is also in danger as the Houthis expand their attack targets to the United Kingdom and the United States. The Houthis also pointed out again on January 15:
“As long as it is an American ship, it is enough to keep our guns aimed.”
After the joint military operation, the Houthi Army still stated that it would continue to launch attacks and pointed out that it would “remove all those involved in the aggression against our country…
In addition to the Gibraltar Eagle, the U.S. Central Command also pointed out that also on January 15, the United States detected an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from the southern Red Sea. However, the missile failed to launch and landed on the land of Yemen.
Earlier on January 12, the Houthis opened fire on the USS Laboon, a destroyer. The United States pointed out that the attack missile came from near the Red Sea port city of Al Hudaydah controlled by the Houthis.
At present, the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a maritime alert, recommending that “U.S.-flagged vessels and U.S.-owned commercial vessels” stay away from specific areas of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and the world’s second largest oil company, Qatar Energy Company, has also announced the suspension of transportation on the Red Sea route. , currently three of the company’s ships originally scheduled to enter the Red Sea are temporarily staying in Oman, waiting for the safety situation to be assessed. If the natural gas transported from Qatar to Europe is diverted to the Cape of Good Hope, the voyage period is expected to increase by 9 days.
The United States accuses Iran of being behind the Houthi attacks, but Iran continues to deny it.
The Houthi Army’s continued attacks after the US and UK military operations mean that the Red Sea shipping crisis still cannot be resolved. Originally, after large container ships stopped passing through the Red Sea, dry bulk carriers continued to operate, but the attack on the Gibraltar Eagle increased the danger. signal, and LNG tankers that originally maintained passage gradually avoided passing through the Red Sea.
In addition, the original attack occurred in the narrow southern part of the Red Sea, but this time the Gibraltar Eagle was attacked in the wider Gulf of Aden adjacent to the Arabian Sea, which has increased concerns about shipping safety in the Middle East. If global shipping continues to Being disrupted, energy prices and inflation indexes may also be affected and fluctuated.
A cargo ship bound for the Suez Canal in 2017.Photo/Archyde.com Past 24 hours Middle East and North Africa United States
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