Shipping firm Maersk announced that it is preparing to allow vessels to resume sailing through the Red Sea. This is possible thanks to the start of a U.S.-led multinational naval operation to protect shipping from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Houthi attacks have caused significant disruptions in shipping through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, which are crucial trade routes for oil, natural gas, grain, and consumer goods between Europe and Asia.
Maersk has received confirmation that the Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) initiative has been set up and deployed. This initiative will enable maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden and use the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe once again.
The company is working on plans for the first vessels to make the journey as soon as operationally possible.
The Houthis, Iranian-backed rebels who seized Yemen’s capital in 2014, have targeted ships in the region. These attacks have increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The rebels have threatened to attack any vessel they believe is going to or coming from Israel.
Major shipping companies, including Maersk, have been avoiding the Red Sea and sending their ships around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope. This has added up to a week or two weeks to voyages and increased fuel and insurance costs.
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