The multinational shipping company Maersk has decided to recommence its operations in the Red Sea after ceasing operations due to attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi rebels who are backed by Iran.
The Danish business declared on Sunday that it would start shipping again in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after a new security operation spearheaded by the US was established to protect the region.
The Prosperity Operation Maersk said in a statement that Guardian will once again permit shipping vessels to sail through the area, calling this “extremely welcome news for the entire industry and indeed the functionality of global trade.”
The United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain are all involved in the global security effort.
Some of the biggest corporations in the world, such as the oil giant BP, recently announced that they were stopping operations in the Red Sea and avoiding the vital Suez Canal in response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships. The militants claimed the attacks were retaliation against Israel for Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
30% of container commerce and 10% to 15% of all trade pass through the waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Concerns were raised that a protracted effective blockage of the Suez Canal would result in higher freight prices and longer delivery times since some ships were already being diverted around Africa’s southern tip.
Earlier this month, Maersk had redirected its ships out of the Red Sea and, in response to the interruption, had increased the cost of shipping cargo via longer routes.
The company announced on Sunday that it was getting ready to send its first ships back through the Red Sea “as soon as operationally possible.”
“In handling the difficult situation, our top priority is safeguarding the safety of our employees while we do this,” the business stated.
Even though security was being strengthened, “the overall risk in the area is not eliminated at this stage,” it was emphasized.
The firm declared that it will release information about the new arrangement in the next few days and that it “will not hesitate to reevaluate the situation and once again initiate diversion plans if we deem it necessary for the safety of our seafarers.”