Attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea have escalated to a level not seen in decades, leaving the United States and its allies scrambling to protect shipping in a key corridor for the global economy.
Houthi rebels have launched at least 100 attacks against 12 different commercial and merchant vessels in the Red Sea over the last month, a “very significant breadth of attacks” not seen in at least “two generations,” a senior US military official said Tuesday.
The official described the attacks, which the Iran-backed Houthis have launched using ballistic missiles and drones, as a “large change in the security environment than even what it was two months ago.”
The Red Sea is home to one of the most important maritime trade routes in the world, and the affects of the attacks have had far-reaching reverberations, with at least 44 countries having connections to vessels attacked by the Houthis, and wider international trade being disrupted due to the attacks.
The attacks have escalated since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the October 7 terrorist attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis. As Israel ramped up its retaliation for the attack, the Houthis began targeting ships that it accused of in some way support Israel’s war effort though multiple companies that have been targeted have said they have no connection with Israel or the war.
Some of the world’s biggest companies, including oil giant BP and shipping company Maersk, announced they were suspending their operations in the Red Sea because of the continued attacks on the vessels in recent weeks. Oil and gas prices rose sharply after BP’s announcement.
The strikes prompted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to announce the formation of a coalition of at least 10 countries to focus on security in the Red Sea, saying the attacks “threaten the free flow…
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