The attacks on the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic and another vessel identified by the Houthis as the MSC Clara are the latest in a series of maritime incidents in the Red Sea
The United States has announced the formation of a 10-country coalition to crack down on Houthi missile and drone attacks against ships transiting the Red Sea. Great Britain, France, Bahrain and Italy are among the countries that have joined the “multinational security initiative”.
“Countries seeking to uphold the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation must come together to meet the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks on oil tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Red Sea, endangering a transit route that carries up to 12% of global trade.
The security coalition, Austin said, will work “with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and strengthening regional security and prosperity.”
It includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, Austin said.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels earlier said they attacked two “Israel-linked” ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza, as more companies block transit through the troubled but vital waterway.
The attacks on the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic and another vessel identified by the Houthis as the MSC Clara are the latest in a series of maritime incidents that are disrupting global trade in a bid to pressure Israel over its war against Hamas militants.
In a statement, Yemeni rebels said they had carried out a “military operation against two ships linked to the Zionist entity” using naval drones.
They vowed to “continue to prevent all ships bound for Israeli ports from sailing in the Arabian and Red Seas” until more food and medicine is allowed into Gaza.
But the Swan Atlantic’s owner, Norway’s Inventor Chemical Tankers, said in a statement that the ship had “no connection to Israel” and was operated by a Singaporean company, adding that the Indian crew was unharmed and the ship suffered limited damage.
British oil giant BP was the latest to suspend transit through the Red Sea on Monday, while Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen said it would suspend its shipments of Israeli goods with immediate effect.
Frontline, one of the world’s largest tanker companies, also said it was rerouting ships and would “only allow new business” that could be routed through South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
The Red Sea attacks have forced insurance companies to significantly increase premiums on ships, making transit through the Suez Canal uneconomical for some.
The Italian-Swiss giant Mediterranean Shipping Company, the French CMA CGM, the German Hapag-Lloyd, the Belgian Euronav and the Danish AP Moller-Maersk – the latter which represents 15% of global container transport – have all stopped using the Red Sea until further notice.
