75% Of US-Flagged Ships Diverted Around Africa Due To Security Concerns

The ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea have forced the majority of US flagged ships to avoid the waterway, instead taking a much longer and costlier route around Africa.

The growing threat has also put US navy vessels at risk.

According to US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, 75% of American-flagged vessels have been rerouted away from the Suez Canal due to security concerns.

“Seventy five percent of our US flag shipping now has to go around the southern coast of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal,” Waltz said during an interview on Face the Nation on Sunday.

He also discussed the dangers faced by the US navy in the region, revealing that the last time an American destroyer passed through the Red Sea, it was attacked 23 times.

In response, the US military has carried out a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Waltz stated that these attacks have eliminated key rebel leaders, including the head of their missile program, and have also destroyed weapons production facilities and drone assembly sites.

Despite the US military response, the Houthis remain defiant. The group claims their attacks on ships in the Red Sea are an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The Houthis have also accused the US of killing over 50 people in recent bombings on Yemeni soil. On Tuesday, they announced via Telegram that they had launched drones and missiles at the USS Harry S. Truman, a US aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea.

However, according to NBC, the attack was unsuccessful.

Waltz blamed the previous Biden administration for not taking strong enough action against Houthis. He added that weak military responses in the past allowed the rebels to grow bolder, leading to the current crisis.

“The Trump administration and President Trump have decided to do something much harder, much tougher,” Waltz said. The conflict has severely impacted global trade, as ships are now taking a detour around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

This alternative route nearly doubles the travel time between Europe and Asia, adding an estimated $1 million in extra costs per trip, according to LSEG Shipping Research.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the crisis with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. According to a State Department statement, Rubio reaffirmed the US commitment to ensuring safe passage in the Red Sea and taking decisive military action against the Houthis.

A US Defense official also confirmed that American forces continue to strike Houthi targets “every day and night” in Yemen.

References: firstpost, middleeasteye

Source: Maritime Shipping News