After the recent missile attack in Yemen, the Cyprus Chamber of Shipping (CSC) called on influential countries in the Red Sea region to take action to protect the lives of sailors and the ships they navigate from missile attacks by Yemeni Houthi armed groups.On the evening of December 11th at 9pm Greenwich Mean Time, a Norwegian oil tanker was hit by an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the Hussain Movement. A Hussain spokesperson warned that the organization would continue to block ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allowed food and medical aid to enter the Gaza Strip.The CSC expresses concern about the Hussai Movement’s attacks on commercial shipping passing through the Red Sea and the Strait of Mand, and supports the call for action by the International Maritime Organization to protect shipping in the region, stating that the Hussai Movement’s attacks pose a serious threat to international shipping, violate international law, and pose a serious threat to the safety of seafarers.Cyprus Chamber of ShippingOn Saturday (December 9th), a spokesperson for the Housai armed forces warned that their actions would target any vessel heading towards Israeli ports, regardless of which country’s flag it is flying.A spokesperson for the Hussein armed forces said, “If Gaza does not receive the necessary food and medicine, all Red Sea vessels heading to Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, will become targets of our armed forces.”A 20 mile entrance between Yemen, Eritrea, and Djibouti leading to the Red Sea, from the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal, known as the Bab al Mandeb or Tear Gate due to historical navigation hazards, has become a focal point for Hussai armed drones and missile attacks on merchant ships.According to maritime consulting firm Alphaliner, the attack by the Houser armed forces on Red Sea vessels has led some operators to divert container ships to longer but safer routes near Cape Horn in Africa.The consultant said, “The recent acts of violence include boarding ships at sea and taking crew members hostage, as well as land-based drones attacking transit commercial ships.”The company confirmed that most of the attacks occurred in the Strait of Mandate, and as of December 4th, 12 container ships have diverted from the Red Sea route to Cape of Good Hope, with another 6 ships expected to also divert to Cape Horn.”This mainly involves ships on the Asia Europe and Mediterranean routes. Among the ships that have already started to divert, there are three ships with 4250 TEU, three ships with 5000-6000 TEU, four ships with 15000 TEU, and one ship with 19000 TEU.”Changing the route from Shanghai to Barcelona via the Horn of Africa at a speed of 18 knots will increase the sailing time from 21 days to 32 days. The itinerary from Shanghai to Rotterdam has been increased from 25 days to 33 days.Unlike when demand is low, the current diversion plan will affect both eastbound and westbound routes simultaneously. On the eastbound route, the main purpose of changing lanes is to save on the cost of the Suez Canal.So far, it remains to be seen whether shipping companies will deploy additional tonnage to make up for long-distance travel through Cape of Good Hope, or whether they will skip some flights directly.Initially, the target of the Houser armed attack on ships was ships associated with Israeli companies, but the movement has now expanded its potential targets to any ships docked at Israeli ports.
