Ceasefire Risks Heightened, Red Sea Shipping Traffic Yet To Resume
Despite a long absence of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, ship traffic in the Red Sea has remained slow in recent weeks.
The Joint Maritime Information Centre, which collects information on armed attacks from multiple navies, said the number of ships sailing through the Gulf of Aden remained unchanged despite no incidents since the rebels announced a ceasefire last month.
The CEO of the world’s largest shipping company warned that any plans to return to the Red Sea would likely be slow amid volatile tensions in the Middle East. Carriers still favour longer, safer routes around the southern tip of Africa.
After the Gaza conflict broke out in 2023, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels began attacking ships linked to Israel and the West and supporting Hamas, and stopped the attacks after a ceasefire was reached last month. But the fragility of the ceasefire was exposed this week as both sides accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel should call off its ceasefire with Hamas if the hostages are not returned this week, raising the risk that hostilities could escalate again.
“While inactivity may be viewed as an improvement in maritime security, the committee assesses that the threat to commercial shipping has not changed and advises industry to remain vigilant,” the committee said in its weekly update. “Traffic volumes remain fairly stable.”
