Four Months On, Shipping In The Red Sea Remains High Risk

In November 2023 Yemen's Houthi forces began targeting merchant vessels travelling through the Red Sea. The Houthi forces claim that the attacks are in response to Israel's unrelenting war on Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7. By February 2024, over 40 vessels had been targeted in the region.

The Houthi forces are said to be targeting vessels they believe have a direct affiliation or link with Israel, Israeli nationals or ships directly associated with the Saudi-led coalition involved in the Houthi conflict with the Yemeni government. These include attacks on vessels destined for or departing from Israeli ports or vessels thought to be owned, managed and/or operated by Israeli entities. As Israeli owned vessels are avoiding the area, it is understood that Houthi Rebels are widening their scope to include vessels in commercial relationships with Israeli companies. Following UK and US military involvement in the area, on the 22 February Houthi