Houthi drone strikes in Red Sea disrupt global trade routes
Houthi fighters in Yemen have once again attacked in the Red Sea, targeting a coalition ship and a US warship with drones. The US Central Command announced that the downed drones "posed a direct threat to merchant ships and US naval vessels."
The US military reported on Thursday that it destroyed four unmanned drones launched by Iran-supported Houthi forces towards a US warship and a coalition ship in the Red Sea.
The US Central Command announced on the social media service X that the downed drones "posed a direct threat to merchant ships and US naval vessels in the region".
Drones were aimed at a coalition ship and a US warship. No injuries or damage were reported on the warship and coalition ship, according to the statement from the US Central Command.
World trade under pressure
The attacks have disrupted trade on a route that until recently accounted for 12 percent of global turnover. Ships are now forced to take a longer route by circumnavigating Africa from the south, causing the cost of sea freight from East Asia to Europe to double.
The effects are also felt by Egypt, as traffic through the Suez Canal has decreased. Revenues from the Suez Canal fell by more than 50 percent as a result of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, said Prime Minister of Egypt Mustafa Madbuli during a meeting with a delegation from the US Congress.
On Thursday, March 21, it was reported that in Oman, a meeting took place with diplomats from Russia and China with Mohammed Abdel Salam, a leading political figure of the Yemeni Houthi movement, as reported by Bloomberg, based on information from informants at the talks.
According to them, the Houthis guaranteed that no attacks on Chinese and Russian ships would be carried out, allowing them safe passage through the Red Sea. In return, the Houthis are seeking political support, such as blocking further resolutions against the movement at the UN.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports a Saturday attack by the Houthis on a Chinese tanker. The fighters fired four missiles near the Huang Pu tanker, which belongs to China, while a fifth missile hit the ship, causing damage and igniting a fire that was eventually extinguished, according to the US Central Command.
