The Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk announced December 15 it would pause all container shipments moving through the Red Sea until further notice, a spokesperson said.
According to Reuters, Maersk said December 14 that its vessel, Maersk Gibraltar, was targeted by a missile when traveling from Salalah, Oman to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The crew and vessel were later reported safe.
“Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pause their journey until further notice,” the company said in a statement.
Earlier on December 15, Maersk denied a claim by the Houthi movement that the militia had struck one of its vessels destined for Israel. A spokesperson confirmed with Reuters that the ship was not hit in an emailed statement.
Maersk added that the organization is concerned about the highly escalated security situation in the Gulf of Aden as well as the southern Red Sea.
“The recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area are alarming and pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers,” the company wrote in the statement.
