As the Biden administration has avoided confronting Islamic Houthis in Yemen aligned with Iran who are impeding navigation in the Middle East, two of the world’s largest container shipping lines —both of which have had ships attacked by the Islamist group —announced on Friday they have paused transits through the Red Sea.
Maersk, whose ship Gibraltar was attacked on Thursday, stated they would instruct ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, to pause their journeys “until further notice.”
Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd AG announced they would pause their ships’ journeys until Monday, “then will decide for the period after.”
Maersk is the second largest container shipping company by volume, according to the Financial Times, while Hapag-Lloyd is the fifth largest, according to Marine Insight.
After three years of a feckless Iran policy, the Biden Administration has effectively lost control of the Red Sea.