Houthis Claim Another Container Ship Attack As Middle East Turmoil Worsens

Turmoil in the Middle East today has been marked by twin explosions near the burial site of the late Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Kerman, resulting in at least 73 fatalities and injuring 170 others. Additionally, there are new reports of another attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. 

According to Bloomberg, the Houthis’ armed forces’ spokesman claimed rebel forces attacked the container ship “CMA CGM TAGE” after the vessel’s captain ignored multiple warnings. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization reported a vessel that would’ve been in the same proximity of CMA CGM TAGE came under attack. 

UKMTO WARNING 001/JAN/2024

ATTACK – INCIDENT 001 UPDATE 001https://t.co/XsgrK5uW2N
UKMTO has received reports of up to 3 explosions 1-5nm from a merchant vessel in the Bab El Mandeb 33NM East of Assab, Eritrea.#Maritimesecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/nMqcZkAYBP

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) January 2, 2024

However, French container shipping giant CMA CGM SA said the container ship “did not suffer any incident” and was sailing through the Red Sea area with a destination of Alexandria. 

Bloomberg data shows the container ship switched off its automatic identification system in the Arabian Sea before the Bab al-Mandab Strait on December 30. The transponder was turned on Tuesday. 

Some of the world’s largest container shippers have chosen to reroute their fleets thousands of miles around the Cape of Good Hope in response to drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said any vessel associated with Israel would be attacked. 

Over the weekend, the Maersk Hangzhou container ship was struck by a missile while transiting the Southern Red Sea. Then US attack helicopters destroyed three small Houthi boats. 

So much for the hope that the Pentagon’s Operational Prosperity Guardian would unfreeze the Red Sea.

MAP OF THE DAY: Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Container ships heading toward Europe and/or North America, with almost all avoiding the Red Sea (red).

More than two weeks after the launch of US-led ‘Prosperity Guardian’, the Houthis still rule in the Red Sea. pic.twitter.com/JK0oLMkvlA

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) January 3, 2024

Regional conflict risks are rising.