As Houthis Warn of ‘War' Amid Israel-Iran Tensions, Red Sea Shipping Still Stagnant

Yahoo

20 hours ago

Reports of potential military escalations in the Middle East have struck a chord with the Houthis, who are warning both Israel and the U.S. to stand down from any attacks on Iran that would 'drag the entire region into the abyss of war.'
A spokesperson for the Yemen-based militia, which gained global notoriety for its ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since the months after the Israel-Hamas war started, told Newsweek 'we are also at the highest level of preparedness for any possible American escalation against us.'
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As nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran appear to have stalled—with the latter refusing to abandon its uranium enrichment capabilities and President Donald Trump exhibiting frustration with the negotiations—several news reports have tied Israel to a possible attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in the coming days.
During a press conference Thursday, President Trump stopped short of calling an attack 'imminent,' but said 'it looks like it's something that could very well happen.'
Such a move could see Iran retaliate with strikes of its own on Israeli and American interests throughout the Middle East.
With the Iran-aligned Houthis joining the rhetoric, it takes away incentive of shipping companies that may have considered returning to the Red Sea. Despite the Yemeni group's cessation of attacks in the waterway in 2025, only CMA CGM has routinely tested the waters with multiple services.
While that carrier has the assistance of the French Navy to help escort ships through the Red Sea when necessary, other major container shipping firms have continually reiterated they will not return unless there are safety guarantees.
Both the U.S. and U.K. have acknowledged the possibility of another skirmish in the Middle East, and have since ordered a heightened state of preparedness.
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department ordered the departure of all non-essential personnel from the American embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, as well as staff and family members in embassies in Bahrain and Kuwait. On Thursday morning, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem restricted employees and family from traveling outside Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva until further notice.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office of the Royal Navy issued a warning to seafarers, saying that increased tensions in the region could 'lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners.'
The UKMTO advised vessels to transit the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Straits of Hormuz with caution, and report incidents or suspicious activity.
While UKMTO did not mention the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait or the Gulf of Aden in its advisory, there has been military engagement in the Red Sea that could ward shipping companies off from passing through the area.
Ahead of the reports, Israel's navy launched missiles at the Houthi-controlled Port of Hodeidah in Yemen, which resides on the Red Sea. In response, the Houthis launched long-range missile attacks against Israel. Both Israel and the Houthis have engaged in a series of strikes against the other in recent months as the former's military campaign in the Gaza Strip rages on.
U.S. military airstrikes against the Houthis lasted roughly 50 days before a ceasefire was called in May, with the Pentagon claiming to hit more than 1,000 Houthi targets in the period. While the White House's intent of the campaign was the restore freedom of navigation to the Red Sea, shipping routes have largely strayed from the area.
Even as the Suez Canal Authority has tried to incentivize carriers to bring back shipping routes through the trade artery in the wake of the conflict, vessels have largely remained the same in the area since last summer.
Data from PortWatch, a maritime traffic portal backed by the International Monetary Fund and Oxford University, said the seven-day moving average of Bab el-Mandeb crossings in June was 30 vessels per day. This mirrors numbers seen in both January and August 2024.
Figures from container shipping research firm Clarksons indicate a similar story. According to Clarksons, the rolling, seven-day average of daily Suez Canal crossings stood at 30 vessels per day so far in June, down from 32 in May and 33 in March and April. In August 2024, the figure stood at 35 daily crossings.