Emboldened by their first ship sinking the Houthis are now insisting any ships entering their territorial waters need to obtain a permit.
Ships will have to obtain a permit from Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Maritime Affairs Authority before entering Yemeni waters, Houthi telecommunications minister Misfer Al-Numair claimed yesterday. Yemeni waters extend halfway across the Bab al-Mandab strait, one of shipping’s most important chokepoints.
A potential environmental catastrophe is unfolding in nearby waters after the sinking over the weekend of the Rubymar (pictured), a bulk carrier carrying 21,000 tons of fertiliser and spewing bunker fuel having been hit by Houthi missiles on February 18. The Lebanese-owned, Greek-managed, Belize-registered ship is the first constructive total loss in the ongoing Red Sea shipping crisis that has seen a huge swathe of the global merchant fleet give the region a wide berth. Latest data from Clarksons Research, for instance, shows Suez Canal transits last week were 60% below the 2023 daily average.
(pictured), a bulk carrier carrying 21,000 tons of fertiliser and spewing bunker fuel having been hit by Houthi missiles on February 18. The Lebanese-owned, Greek-managed, Belize-registered ship is the first constructive total loss in the ongoing Red Sea shipping crisis that has seen a huge swathe of the global merchant fleet give the region a wide berth. Latest data from Clarksons Research, for instance, shows Suez Canal transits last week were 60% below the 2023 daily average.With an Italian destroyer taking out a Houthi drone over the weekend, the Yemeni militia warned Italian ships would become targets, and they delivered on that promise yesterday, firing two missiles at the 25-year-old MSC Sky II, a 2,169 teu ship owned and operated by the Genoese founder of Mediterranean Shipping Co, Gianluigi Aponte.
The ship’s master reported two explosions. The first exploded a distance from the vessel’s port quarter, while a second struck and damaged the ship with the crew quickly into firefighting mode.
“Operations are escalating and continuing in the Red and Arab Seas, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab, until the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” read a statement from the Houthi militia yesterday.
More than 60 ships have been targeted by the Houthis in the five months since war broke out between Israel and Hamas.
Despite the huge rerouting of much of the global merchant fleet around the continent of Africa to avoid the dangerous waters in the Middle East, supply chains now appear to be in sync with the extra sailing times.
New data from S&P Global shows that with the exception of the UK, delays linked to the Red Sea closures are by no means widespread, with supply chains effectively healing around the challenge with alternative routings.
Why give these clowns the oxygen of publicity? It is all bravado. Sinking a ship full of bulk cargo achieved nothing other than releasing massive pollution that will impact Yemen. It serves them right. Any requests for assistance should be refused until the aggression is stopped.
Transit permits? Who do they think they are kidding.
The torrent of comment on supply chain pressure seems to have been totally misplaced as lines adjusted their routing and schedules. There was too much knee jerk response on this across most of the sector media.
Globalist shipowners are very happy with this mess in the Red Sea. They are making money on much longer ton-miles. May be Houties get their 10% thence?
😂
It’s not war that we fought in Somalians waters. I still fight and have my troops in 200 nm outside the Somalian water. This is different my experience is 14 years their todate. You got to be careful by anylizing this Hoothis war. We got to run over them with different methods. I wrote to this in 19 th Dec 2023 to the UN sec Gen. I m waiting for their Answers to counter them. We got to run heavy guns with anti drones system with small boat sqdrens of over 60 boats to escorts these vessels with 06 mother ships deployed. I m the chairman is Avant Garde maritime services Pvt ltd . My maid address is yapas@sltnet.lk.
what are they asking for. stop the WAR in PALESTINE, they stop their attacks. why are you bothering yourself on how to destabilizing them. they are fighting for HUMANITY you are fighting for profits in you back pockets, let see who wins
It’s by time that nations take ownership of their own land , air and sea environments . The American warmongering must stop and so it’s demonised allies . I salute the Houthis and everyone standing up for their freedom. The evil satanic warmongers call nations who stand up for their rights terrorists , separatist etc . They are the terrorists. In the greed of wanting to steal and control the world . God gives these evil governments rope until He pulls back .
These pirates and terrorists were firing at and boarding ships long before they used gaza as an excuse.
No they weren’t
I am UK born citizen. Both myself and my wife lived in Tai’iz in the Arab Republic of Yemen. I worked hard to build/manage factories and became fluent in Arabic. It is crass to hear USA/UKare quick to call a tribe in existence for a thousand years “terrorists’
Yemen only recently was free after 8 years from Saudi bombing but Yemenis don’t give up on there great friendships such as I was privileged to be a part of. Don’t label people’s who fight 4 what they believe even if you do not, using outright power to break willpower ‘ you will NEVER succeed because Yemenis use whatever they have to fight for what they believe is righteous. Nearly 6 months of Biden leading the genocide in Gaza yet Hamas are terrorists ‘ what are the Israeli War Cabinet? – a peace loving bunch of genocidal warmongers but no one says it so why are Houthis ‘terrorists” when attacking shipping which some of which are in Yemini waters. How many people has Houthi actions injured or killed? Tar ALL with the same brush or forever be known for being complicit in the martys of Gaza.
What about killing more than 50000 women and children..Genocide has no other name so is human rights abuse and terrorism from the mist terrorist army in human history..be humans you real terrorists..have a lookk back at your hisotry you terrorists..
After 30 000 women & children massacred, you want to comment about a ship that is supporting genocide. Barbaric Racist!
When did you visit Yemen? Never ? Why are you against a mopping up from the downed fertiliser shipment. Fertiliser is a cheap and major component of bomb making – Lebanese warehouses blown to he’ll couple of years ago by fertiliser storage. So Houthis hit a cargo heading towards the Suez with bomb making cargo or maybe to grow bigger tomatoes as it is ideal for both. I wonder how many people know the geography of Yemen? Do you know there are twice as many Russian AK47’s in Yemen than there are people – it is used, like the Jambia/curved daggers, as a sign of manhood and maturity and agreement to die protecting your kinsmen. Do you even know where the Houthis come from or where their villages are or are they simply dirt to be trodden on because I would like to see you and other like minded individuals treat any Yemeni that way’ you need to leave a will before embarking on such a mission AND there is plenty of fresh undiluted oxygen in Yemen and hardly any of it full of ozone depleting carbon pollution. All these bits and pieces you didn’t and didn’t care. Fertiliser contains nitrogen and hydrogen both being readily soluble in seawater so I hope littledamage is caused by the sunken vessel. Certainly when diving/snorkeling the Red Sea every Friday the water and corals are .mostly undisturbed by pollution or oil spills. Yemenis have every right to oxygen so get real and think globally where real trouble exists and grows. The Houthis certainly won’t impact the ozone layer so puts them in the minority of planet destruction.
Who do you think you are asking that question? It’s a small price to pay, for the onslaught against children in Gaza. Children on their own land…
Theh are achieving their goal ,unless the terrorist USA,Europe and Israel stop their aggressive behavior. I stand with houthi the brave people America, Israel and UK are just cowards 😤
and how much % do you get on each gazza chilx isreal murders..and how much on each church and mosque..on each journalist each doctor each sportman each univ professor each hosputal each high rise bldng..usa europe lost the humanity batyle is ra el lost everything..shame on the hypocratic west
Blow the Houthis off the face of the earth
I am UK born citizen. Both myself and my wife lived in Tai’iz in the Arab Republic of Yemen. I worked hard to build/manage factories and became fluent in Arabic. It is crass to hear USA/UKare quick to call a tribe in existence for a thousand years “terrorists’
Yemen only recently was free after 8 years from Saudi bombing but Yemenis don’t give up on there great friendships such as I was privileged to be a part of. Don’t label people’s who fight 4 what they believe even if you do not, using outright power to break willpower ‘ you will NEVER succeed because Yemenis use whatever they have to fight for what they believe is righteous. Nearly 6 months of Biden leading the genocide in Gaza yet Hamas are terrorists ‘ what are the Israeli War Cabinet? – a peace loving bunch of genocidal warmongers but no one says it so why are Houthis ‘terrorists” when attacking shipping which some of which are in Yemini waters. How many people has Houthi actions injured or killed? Tar ALL with the same brush or forever be known for being complicit in the martys of Gaza.
What did Houti’s do to you What did you do for them?. Did you critisize the 8 year bombing campaign conducted by the Saudis z& their best pals ‘ the USA & the UK at it again ! Defence selling is perhaps the biggest in the world. Saudis use bombs ONLY because they could not risk ground offensive as every Yemeni village by the Red Sea or in the mountains has kept invaders away having never been conquered. Why do you want to kill the Houthis who you never heard of until last few months yet they existed at the time of Cleopatra. If the best u have is to butcher a people GO and join the Israeli War Cabinet as you hold identical views ? Indiscriminate killing of innocents ‘ God has truly desrrted us with individuals wanting more Gemocide and death AND going toe2toe with a Yemeni tribesmen is not something you will not regret just before.’justice” is delivered. Easy to talk but impossible to do !
Very smart and adult response !!!
The world needs smart people like you to solve problems. Might be space for you in a.Trump administration
What the hell are you on about.
Take a lie down.
The bravado in Phil Mortimers comment has an underlying tone of fear.
They have one agenda – stop supporting the genocide. People like Phil divert your attention from such purpose because it is factual and could resolve this issue.
The falsehood that this does not affect trade and hurts them could not be hidden by the US/UK reaction to all of this.