Company News|New information on freight routes/Red Sea
According to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, on January 1, local time, as part of its regular mission in international waters, the Iranian destroyer “Alborz” entered the Red Sea through the Bab el Mandeb Strait. The report stated that since 2009, the Iranian navy has been “carrying out operations on the high seas to ensure the safety of shipping lanes, combat piracy and perform other tasks.” Western media claim that Iran is the supporter behind the Houthi armed forces.
According to the Times, the British military is preparing to launch a wave of air strikes against the Houthi armed forces, which increases the possibility of a significant escalation of tensions in the region. According to the report, according to the plan, the United Kingdom will join forces with the United States (and possibly another European country) to launch missiles against pre-planned targets. A British government source said the British military may dispatch fighter jets and the guided missile destroyer HMS Diamond. The Times stated that it is reported that the United Kingdom and the United States will issue an unprecedentedly harsh ultimatum, warning the Houthis to stop attacking commercial ships, otherwise they will face Western military attacks.
After the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out, the Houthis began to launch attacks on some ships in the Red Sea in October last year, claiming to show support for the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). According to Reuters, this has caused ships of major global shipping companies to suspend their routes through the Suez Canal and instead bypass the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, taking longer and more expensive shipping routes.
The New York Times reported that U.S. President Biden has said that he hopes to avoid direct military attacks on the Houthi armed forces in Yemen to prevent the escalation of conflicts that may spread to the entire region. “But this incident has brought a difficult choice to Biden and his government.” Foreign media generally believe that the exchange of fire between the US military and the Houthi armed forces has put the situation in the Red Sea at risk of further escalation. In December last year, the United States announced the formation of a multinational maritime coalition to carry out the “Prosperity Guardian” escort operation to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. According to the New York Times, the operation covered about 20 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, and France, but most Arab countries did not participate.
