Danish shipping company Maersk announces that one of its vessels successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the first time in nearly two years, though it currently has no plans to fully reopen the route.
Maersk began diverting vessels away from the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea around the Cape of Good Hope in January 2024 after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked ships in the area that it claimed were linked to Israel, ostensibly in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Maersk says that one of its vessels, Maersk Sebarok, had made the transit on Thursday and Friday.
“Whilst this is a significant step forward, it does not mean that we are at a point where we are considering a wider East-West network change back to the trans-Suez corridor,” it says.
The company says, however, that it is considering the possibility of continuing a “stepwise approach” towards resuming passage. There are currently no additional planned sailings, it adds.
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From the Liveblog of
Friday, December 19, 2025
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