Thirteen predominantly Western nations issued a strongly worded statement against the Houthis late on Wednesday, in a move that potentially signals a more robust stance by the international community against the Yemeni rebels.
Three major shipping organisations rushed to welcome the statement, urging the US-led coalition to take all necessary action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The International Maritime Organisation weighed into the debate as well, with new secretary general Arsenio Dominguez separately telling the United Nations Security Council that 18 shipping companies have so far decided to reroute their vessels around Africa.
The salvo of anti-Houthi declarations was opened by a statement by 13 nations: the US, the UK, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Deploring “a significant escalation over the past week targeting commercial vessels, with missiles, small boats, and attempted hijackings”, the group warned the Houthis against further “illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilising” attacks.
Stating that the attacks “demand collective action”, the countries warned the rebels that they “will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways”.
The group did not elaborate on what these consequences could be. Over the past few days, however, rumours and press reports abound that air strikes will be carried out against the Houthis.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps, who described the 13 nations’ statement as “an unprecedented warning”, said in a separate statement on X that his country “will not hesitate to take necessary and proportionate action” against the Houthis.
Stop the attacks, immediately
The World Shipping Council, the International Chamber of Shipping and Bimco expressed support for any effective Western action.
Seafarers and international trade should be protected “by bringing all pressure to bear on the aggressors so that these intolerable attacks cease with immediate effect”, they said in a joint statement.
Members of the three organisations have seen about two dozen of their ships attacked since 19 November, as the Houthis try to put pressure on Israel and its Western backers to stop the war against the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza.
The Houthis officially claim they attack only ships owned by Israel or serving that country’s trade.
Dominguez, however, told the security council late on Wednesday that even though the ships targeted by the Yemeni group fitted that pattern initially, “this doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment”.
The widening Houthi threat has caused 18 shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, Dominguez said.
“This represents an additional 10 days to the journey and of course a negative impact on trade and an increase in freight rates,” he told the UN.
He encouraged ships transiting the Red Sea to continue reporting their moves to the UK Maritime Trade Operation Centre and other agencies.
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