Shipowners’ association Bimco has called for military action to protect shipping in the southern Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.
In a statement marking one month after the first attacks on shipping led to the capture of the 5,100-ceu car carrier Galaxy Leader (built 2002), Bimco said it wanted to see coordinated international action to end the attacks and “if necessary, neutralise the threat by military means within the boundaries of international law”.
The drone and missile attacks on shipping launched from Yemen have been linked to the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group and have escalated over the last week.
Houthi rebels have said they are only targeting ships with connections to Israel or heading for the country’s ports.
The attacks have forced shipping giants including AP Moller-Maersk, Euronav, BP and others to divert shipping away from the region.
Bimco pointed out that the Red Sea accounts for the transit of more than $1trn worth of goods annually, and 12% of global trade.
“Bimco strongly calls for joint efforts by nations to protect international shipping. Seafarers should not be risking their lives while doing their job and keeping the world supplied,” said Bimco secretary general and chief executive David Loosley.
The Copenhagen-based shipowners’ association said the attacks showed no sign of abating.
Loosely said: “These unlawful attacks represent a gross violation of the freedom of navigation as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and undermine the rules-based international order on which international shipping is so dependant.”
As earlier reported by TradeWinds, the US is set to launch a new coalition to help defend the shipping industry following the recent spate of attacks.
The new task force will be called Operation Prosperity Guardian and will be announced during the US secretary of defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to the Middle East this week.
