Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk will pause all container shipments through the Red Sea until further notice, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters on Friday.
“Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice,” the company said in a statement.
Maersk on Thursday said its vessel Maersk Gibraltar was targeted by a missile while travelling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and that the crew and vessel were reported safe.
However, there’s an Arleigh Burke class destroyer in the area along with an carrier strike group.
About 50 cargo ships pass through the red sea every day. Is there enough naval vessels to escort each one?
IIRC A carrier strike group has about 10 ships…
Short answer is yes there is enough. There was a French frigate running escort the other day which had to bat down Houthi drones. Looks to me like they’re holding fire, but it won’t be too long before FAFO.
I mean Iranian drones… but I’m just being pedantic, and I agree with your assessment. The Burk is constantly swatting those things down.
And the US just got Australia to send a destroyer as well.
Very cool! Someone tell the rockets that are being shot at the ships to now magically fall out of the air!