Tensions endured by sea faring vessels in the Red Sea showed no signs of alleviation on Monday as U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued fresh warnings to international shippers to avoid parts of the Gulf of Aden.
Posting on their X account, the group advised its crews "to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity."
Houthi militants hit the American-owned M/V Gibraltar Eagle just off the coast of Yemen with a single missile attack on Monday, causing port-side damage. The U.S. military's Central Command confirmed the attack saying, "The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey."
The Yemen based militant group has initiated several attacks on civilian ships in the critical trade route the past several weeks, disrupting maritime trade and causing the U.S. military to intervene.
The U.S. and U.K. have led joint missions in the past week targeting dozens of sites critical to the Houthi's infrastructure. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands joined the coalition in offering material and logistical support. President Joe Biden has stated his commitment to defending trade in the region and securing the safety of civilian transport ships.
"These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," he said, stressing that Washington and its allies "will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation," Biden said, immediately following the strikes.
"I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary," he added.
As the Israel-Hamas war rages, concerns for global trade remain at an all-time high. Maersk, the Denmark-based shipping giant, has ordered its container vessels to take the longer and costlier route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa in an effort to avoid any confrontation with the Houthis.
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