Quote:DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two missiles fired from territory held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday, a U.S. official said. It is the first time they target an energy shipment heading to the Suez Canal.

An American warship also shot down a suspected Houthi drone flying in its direction during the incident, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. No one was hurt in the attack, the official said.

The assault on the tanker Ardmore Encounter further escalates a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and also widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip.

The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker was traveling north toward the Suez Canal in the Red Sea, satellite tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed. The vessel was on its way from Mangalore, India, and had an armed security crew aboard it, according to data transmitted by the ship. Those guards apparently opened fire to drive off skiffs loaded with men trying to board the vessel, the private intelligence firm Ambrey said.

(12-13-2023, 11:07 AM)Kenzo Wrote: This will escalate soon....i cant see situation where there would be no bigger response than now . The Yemenis declare blockage in international waters to ships that are going to Israel .

(12-15-2023, 06:07 AM)xpert11 Wrote: Certainly, under-reported developments might detract from the United States Navy from their Pacific and Indian Oceans (China) focuses.

(12-15-2023, 06:07 AM)xpert11 Wrote: Certainly, under-reported developments might detract from the United States Navy from their Pacific and Indian Oceans (China) focuses.

(12-15-2023, 08:05 AM)putnam6 Wrote: Thought I heard that the US and the UK were deploying a couple of ships after the last attempt

Quote:Below are companies (in alphabetical order) that are considering or have decided to pause shipping via the Red Sea:

BP 
Oil major BP on Dec. 18 said it had temporarily paused all transits through the Red Sea.

CMA CGM 
French shipping group CMA CGM on Dec. 16 said it was pausing all container shipments through the Red Sea.

EQUINOR
Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor on Dec. 18 said it had re-routed some vessels that had been heading towards the Red Sea.

EURONAV
Belgian oil tanker firm Euronav said on Dec. 18 it would avoid the Red Sea area until further notice.

EVERGREEN 
Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen said on Dec. 18 its vessels on regional services to Red Sea ports would sail to safe waters nearby and wait for further notification, while ships scheduled to pass through the Red Sea would be re-routed around the Cape of Good Hope. It also temporarily stopped accepting Israeli cargo.

FRONTLINE 

Norway-based oil tanker group Frontline said on Dec. 18 that its vessels will avoid passages through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the time ahead, boosting the rates customers must pay for crude transport.

HAPAG-LLOYD 
German container shipping line Hapag Lloyd said on Dec. 18 it would re-route several ships via the Cape of Good Hope until the safety of passage through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea could be guaranteed.
A projectile believed to be a drone struck its vessel Al Jasrah on Dec. 15, while sailing close to the coast of Yemen. No crew were injured.

MAERSK
Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk on Dec. 15 said it would pause all container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice, following a “near-miss incident” involving its vessel Maersk Gibraltar a day earlier. 
The ship was targeted by a missile while traveling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the company said.

MSC
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said on Dec. 16 its ships would not transit through the Suez Canal, with some already rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope, a day after Houthi forces fired two ballistic missiles at its MSC Palatium III vessel. The decision will disrupt sailing schedules by several days, the Switzerland-based group said.

OOCL
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has stopped cargo acceptance to and from Israel until further notice, theshipping company owned by Hong Kong-based Oriental Overseas (International) Ltd 0316.HK said on Dec. 16.

YANG MING MARINE TRANSPORT 
Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport said on Dec. 18 it would divert ships sailing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden via the Cape of Good Hope for the next two weeks.