The Red Sea is becoming a very busy waterway. The fact that the last ship to arrive is a warship sent from Iran increases the possibility of a direct conflict between Tehran and Washington. But international shipping has been hit by disruptions since last November, when another war in Gaza fielded Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The scenario now risks deteriorating amid increasing risks to the security of the entire region and threats to global trade. We are evaluating the situation.
Iran enters the game
Last Monday, the first day of the new year, Iranian news agency My Tasnim He reported that Tehran sent the Alborz destroyer through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa and connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The rather old ship (it was sold by Britain to the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) was to be equipped with eight long-range cruise missiles that could threaten both the Jewish State and Iran. The presence of Western military forces in the region.
The move represents a potential regional escalation of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in which the Ayatollahs have not previously been directly involved. Although the anti-Israeli “axis of resistance” (which includes Hamas’ Palestinians, Hezbollah’s Lebanese, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels) revolves around Iran, in recent months the country has systematically excluded direct Iranian involvement, despite officials resorting to violence . Rhetoric directed at bitter enemies Tel Aviv and Washington.
But now the US has declared that Iran will be “extensively involved” in the planning and execution of attacks by more than 100 Houthi rebels in the Red Sea since last November and accused Tehran of an attack. Japanese oil tanker in the Indian Ocean.
Houthi attacks
These militias, which have been fighting against Yemen’s central government for years, control the coastline around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and target commercial and civilian ships in transit with drones and missiles, even attacking some with helicopters and motorboats. The Italian ship MSC United VIII was also hit by Houthi missiles while sailing from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan on December 26.
Officially, the rebels claim that their actions are aimed at harming Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, but in fact they are disrupting international maritime trade. The Red Sea is actually one of the most important strategic gateways for global trade, considering that approximately 12% of world trade passes through the Red Sea. The Suez Canal, on the one hand, represents the gateway to the Mediterranean, and on the other hand, it consists of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which opens to the Indian Ocean.
Following the attacks, more and more shipping companies (such as the Italian-Swiss MSC and the Danish Maersk, as well as the oil giant British Petroleum) are disrupting transportation via this route, opting to circumnavigate the African continent via the Buona Cape of Hope. This change, which includes much longer journeys, is already causing an increase in the prices of various goods, including fuel.
Patrolling the Red Sea
Thus, since December 18, the US fleet has been leading a multinational coalition of about twenty countries to guarantee the security of trade routes in the region. Italy participates in the mission called guardian of prosperity, with the frigate Virginio Fasan. Many other European countries have participated, including France (with the frigate Languedoc), the United Kingdom (with HMS Diamond), Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Greece and Spain, but there are also “indigenous” fleets such as Saudi Arabia’s. and Bahrain.
Last December 31, the US Navy (which included USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely) sank three Houthi boats trying to hijack the cargo ship Hangzhou sailing off the coast of Yemen, killing approximately ten rebels. Alborz’s entry into the Red Sea is most likely Tehran’s response to this sinking.
In previous days, militia drones and missiles had been shot down by US, British and French forces stationed in the region, but there had never been a direct attack on Iran-backed Yemeni militias by members of Prosperity Guardian. However, the steps taken in recent days may disrupt this unstable balance in the region. London, on the other hand, announced that it was ready to bomb Houthi positions if tensions increased.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
