Hapag and MSC Containerships Attacked as Red Sea Situation Escalates
The situation in the Red Sea continues to escalate with Houthi rebels increasing their attacks on shipping as they vow to stop all ships with ties to Israel. Both Hapag-Lloyd and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company are confirming reports that their vessels have been attacked while the Houthis are saying they launched the attacks only after the vessels failed to respond to orders either not to enter the Red Sea or to sail toward Yemen.
Warships from the United States, France, and now a British destroyed dispatched into the region, as well as other allies, were unable to intercept today’s attacks. An unidentified U.S. spokesperson told the wire services that a U.S. destroyer had been dispatched after the attacks to provide assistance but it appears no warships were near the targeted vessels and no attempts were made to shoot down drones or missiles. United Kingdom Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning early today saying it had a report of a small white vessel with a black top and 10 people aboard approaching at least one vessel saying it was the Yemeni Navy and ordering it to sail toward a port in Yemen,
Hapag-Lloyd confirmed to the wire services that one of its vessels had been struck by a projectile and suffered some damage although the crew was uninjured. The Liberian-registered Al Jasrah (149,380 dwt) was stuck with reports saying it was unclear at this time if it was from a drone or a missile. UKMTO reports that there was an explosion and a small fire aboard the vessel was extinguished by the crew. Late today. US CENTCOM said it believes the containership was hit by a UAV launched from Houthi held territory as it was travelling south in the Red Sea.
The Al Jasrah which was built in 2016 and has a capacity of 14,500 TEU is reported to be heading from Piraeus, Greece to Singapore. The vessel was 30 miles southwest of the port of Mokha, Yemen in the vicinity of the Bab El Mandeb Strait when it was attacked. UK security consultants Ambrey in its account of the attack said the vessel was struck on the port side causing some damage. One or more containers are thought to have been lost overboard due to the impact which caused the explosion and subsequent fire. CENTCOM reproted it was in contact with the vessel that alter told them that it did not require further assistance.
The Houthis in their statement did not mention the attack on the Al Jasrah, instead highlighting the targeting of two containerships operated by MSC, including one with a similar name. Speculation is that the attack on the Hapag ship might have been an error.
The MSC Alanya (120,000 dwt) also registered in Liberia was one of the two vessels targeted and also has similar dimensions to the Hapag vessel. The ship, which was built in 2021 and has a capacity of 11,500 TEU, had departed Salalah, Oman and was bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
MSC confirmed to the wire services that the vessel was approached by a small boat demanding that it not enter the Red Sea. The vessel was ordered to head south according to CENTCOM but instead continued toward the Red Sea. Its location is unclear from the reports and MSC insists that the vessel was not attacked. Security reports are that the ship took evasive measures with CENTCOM reported it continued north and was believed to be traveling safely.
Security services and the Houthi are saying they also targeted the MSC Palatium III (34,300 dwt), a smaller vessel also registered in Liberia. The ship was coming from Mombasa, India and bound for Jeddah. Two ballistic missiles were fire towards the international shipping lanes in the Bab el-Mandeb strait CENTCOM reports. The MSC ship was 23 miles southwest of Mokha and reported that it was hit by one of the missiles. CENTCOM reported that the crew said it was fighting a fire and requested assistance. The USS Mason was responding to the ship. The British monitoring service reported late today that a vessel, believed to be the MSC Palatium III had departed the area safely,
CENTCOM is saying that no one was injured in today's attacks but that they are "yet another demonstration of the great risk to international shipping caused by these Houthi actions." UKMTO continues to advise caution while transiting the area and reporting of suspicious activity while the investigations are ongoing into the recent attacks.
Maersk and Hapag Pause Red Sea Runs as Industry Calls for Immediate Action
Shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd both confirmed today that they have paused all planned transits of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait while the shipping industry is calling for immediate actions and a stop to “flagrant breach of international law” which is risking the lives of seafarers and global trade. The actions came after the recent escalation which saw a missile land close to a Maersk containership yesterday, a confirmed strike on a Hapag vessel today, and two MSC containerships targeted by the Houthi with one possibly struck.
“We have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journeys until further notice,” Maersk said in a written statement issued today Friday, December 15. The shipping giant operating the world’s second-largest containership fleet said it is “deeply concerned about the highly escalated security situation,” while calling the recent attacks “alarming” and saying they pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.
Maersk had previously rerouted two of its vessels owned by XT Shipping, which is based in Haifa, Israel. Earlier today, the company also reported that it “expected to phase out” one of the vessels, the Liberian-registered Maersk Pangani (63,696 dwt) from its current route. While only saying “unforeseen circumstances,” the company said the vessel would be omitting a call in the Persian Gulf at Jebel Ali in Dubai and return to India. The alert said they expected to replace her on the route with another Maersk ship in February 2024.
Hapag-Lloyd after confirming that one of its containerships had been attacked today while sailing close to the coast of Yemen, said it “will take additional measures to secure the safety of our crews. Hapag-Lloyd is pausing all container ship traffic through the Red Sea until Monday (December 18). Then we will decide for the period thereafter.”
The two shipping companies' statements came a day after Bloomberg reported that it had seen an internal memo at Maersk Tankers altering customers that the company was holding the option of rerouting vessels in its pool to sail around Africa and avoid the Red Sea. The International Chamber of Shipping also said today that “some companies have already rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope,” adding cost and delays to global trade with it understood the industry was considering additional actions that could lead to further ships diverting.
The Bab al-Mandab is a potential choke point as it is just 20 miles wide with defined north and south lanes for safe transit. Approximately 10 to 12 percent of global trade passes through the area or more than 17,000 ships each year.
Speaking before the recent developments, well-known analyst Peter Sand of Xeneta predicted it was “highly unlikely the Suez Canal will close…I still believe most ships will continue to transit the Suez Canal despite this risk, just as they did when piracy was such a high risk.”
U.S. officials said they are continuing to work on efforts at building on the existing Task Force in the region to provide greater security. They point out that 39 nations participate in the efforts focused on the Indian Ocean and east into the Persian Gulf region.
The World Shipping Council issued a statement calling for action. The European Community Shipowners’ Association and European Transport Workers’ Federation also issued a joint statement calling for “immediate action to urgently address this alarming situation.”
"ECSA strongly advocates for the enhancement of protective structures for the security of commercial vessels transiting through the area. These measures are crucial to ensure the safety and well-being of our seafarers and to enhance the security of vital trade routes” said Sotiris Raptis, ECSA Secretary General.
The ICS also issued a statement saying the trade association “deplores the actions of the Houthis in the strongest terms and calls for the immediate cessation of these attacks... States with influence in the region should, as a matter of urgency, work to stop the actions of the Houthis in attacking seafarers and merchant ships, and de-escalate what is now an extremely serious threat to international trade.”
Discussing the potential impact of trade and the shipping industry, Sand said he “would expect some kind of over-reaction in the short-term, where rates will jump on all trades which utilize the Suez Canal.” He points out that the only alternative available for the carriers to avoid the Red Sea and the strait is to instead go around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, which adds up to 10 days sailing time.
Houthi Forces Attempt to Board Tanker off Yemen
Incidents in the Red Sea are increasing after the Houthi rebels issued a statement saying that they would expand their efforts to include any vessel they believed was bound for Israel or involved in trade with Israel. U.S., UK, and French naval forces are all reporting encounters with at least one tanker attacked today, December 13, and in a further escalation the attackers took to a small boat while individuals identifying as “Yemeni authorities” continued to demand that vessels divert.
U.S. Central Command confirmed an attempted Houthi attack on the Marshall Island-registered chemical tanker Ardmore Encounter (49,500 dwt) while sailing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The shipping company confirmed to the Associated Press that the vessel had been approached and fired upon but said the crew was safe and the vessel was proceeding with an escort from a U.S. warship.
The incident began at 0830 when the tanker, which is transporting a cargo of jet fuel from India to Europe, first reported being approached by a small boat. United Kingdom Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports there were three armed persons onboard and that the incident was approximately 50 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen. When the small boat was within half a nautical mile of the tanker armed security guards aboard the vessel fired warning shots and the attackers reportedly shot at the tanker.
After the small boat moved away from the tanker, the vessel received a radio call from the “Yemeni authorities” ordering it to sail toward Yemen. Associated Press is citing unnamed U.S. officials who said coalition forces advised the vessel to continue on course while two missiles were also fired at the tanker. Some reports said one missile was shot down while the other fell into the sea. The captain of the Ardmore Encounter reported that they saw an explosion 200 meters astern.
The destroyer USS Mason was dispatched to assist the tanker and as it was proceeding to the area reportedly tracked a drone traveling in the same direction. The U.S. vessel shot down the drone and escorted the tanker out of the danger zone.
"The UAV was heading directly towards the Mason and was shot down in self-defense. There were no injuries to personnel and no damage to any vessels," U.S. Central Command said in a statement late Wednesday.
UKMTO, which coordinates with the Royal Navy and issues warnings to commercial shipping, released a second alert after it received reports of small boats operating in the Arabian Sea off the Omani city of Al Duqm. They warned that five to six small boats with powerful outboard motors that could likely attain 25 knots were following the unidentified merchant ship for at least 90 minutes. The boats were reported to have a machine gun mounted near the bow but the boats cleared the area without approaching the vessel that reported the incident to UKMTO.
France’s Marine Nationale also reported yesterday that its frigate FREMM Languedoc, which has been in the area around the Red Sea since December 8, has again also taken down a drone. The vessel on December 9 shot down two drones and then on December 11 assisted the Norwegian tanker Strinda, which was attacked. The Languedoc shot down another drone which they believed was attempting to attack the tanker after the vessel had already been hit by the missile. The Languedoc also positioned itself to protect the tanker preventing according to the statement an attempt to hijack the vessel.
The increase in activity in the Red Sea area comes as the White House reports President Joe Biden is actively working with U.S. allies to create a multi-national naval task force. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the U.S. is proposing that the warships would escort merchant vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the danger zone near Yemen.
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