Danish shipping company Maersk has announced that it will resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after temporarily suspending vessel transit through the Bab al-Mandab strait in December. The decision comes amid growing maritime tensions, including attacks on Maersk ships by Iran’s Yemeni proxy, the Houthis, which led to the closure of the Suez Canal. The United States has initiated a multinational operation to safeguard Red Sea commerce from the Iran-backed militants, with the Houthis launching drones and missiles at international vessels in response to Israel’s attacks on fellow Iran-backed militants, Hamas.
In a statement released on Sunday, Maersk confirmed the establishment and activation of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), a multinational security initiative aimed at facilitating maritime commerce through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The primary objective of OPG is to resume traffic through the Suez Canal, connecting Asia and Europe. Maersk emphasized that additional details about the resumption of transit through the Red Sea would be forthcoming, and highlighted the potential reconsideration of diverting ship traffic based on evolving safety conditions.
Other entities, including the oil major BP, have also suspended transit through the Red Sea in recent weeks due to heightened safety apprehensions. The announcement from Maersk comes as part of efforts to ensure the safe and efficient resumption of shipping operations in the region.
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