Shipping giant Maersk says it will avoid Red Sea despite EU security operation

COPENHAGEN — Shipping company Maersk said on Friday it was too early to resume sailings through the Red Sea due to a continued elevated risk level, despite an initiative by the European Union to increase safety in the region.

Maersk, one of the world’s biggest container shipping companies, suspended Red Sea traffic on January 5 and has since redirected ships via the Cape of Good Hope.

The EU’s naval mission in the southern Red Sea was launched in February to help protect the key maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia, who say they are retaliating against Israel’s war on Gaza.

Maersk said in a statement on its website that it was aware that other shipping companies had continued sailing through the Red Sea or announced plans to resume sailing.

“We continue with our own assessment that the current situation does not allow us to make a similar decision,” it said.

“We still believe that sailing via the Cape of Good Hope and around Africa is the most reasonable solution at the moment and the one that currently allows the best supply chain stability,” it added.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Tuesday evening that a “suspicious aerial target” that struck an open area near Eilat early Monday morning was a cruise missile.

Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile, which crossed into Israeli airspace from the direction of the Red Sea.

No damage or injuries were caused, and according to the IDF, the missile was tracked by the Air Force throughout the incident.

It marks the first time a Houthi projectile hit Israeli territory. In previous attacks, missiles and drones launched from Yemen struck neighboring countries or were intercepted by air defenses.

The IDF said it is further investigating the incident.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea last November, a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas, which began with the terror group’s devastating October 7 assault on southern Israel.

The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to reroute to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. The cost of insuring a seven-day voyage through the Red Sea has risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beyond economic damage, the attacks have also served to stoke fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.

While the group has claimed it only targets vessels owned by or connected to Israel, it has frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to the country, imperiling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor.

The United States and the United Kingdom began striking Houthi targets in Yemen in January, but despite this, the rebel group remains undeterred and capable of launching significant attacks.