U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that attacks in the Red Sea carried out by Yemen’s Houthi movement have impacted more than forty countries and disrupted roughly one fifth of global shipping. This assessment was reported by TASS. Source: TASS.
Blinken stressed that this is not only a regional issue. The assaults by the Houthis directly affect the citizens, cargo, and commercial interests of more than forty states, and they have disrupted and diverted about 20 percent of world marine trade. Source: TASS.
He noted that goods take longer to reach their destinations, operational costs are rising, and these higher costs are being passed through to consumers around the world. Source: TASS.
Earlier reports indicated that the Indian Navy deployed the destroyer Chennai to assist the cargo ship Lila Norfolk, which had an Indian crew on board and was seized by pirates in the Arabian Sea. The Liberian-flagged vessel reported to UKMTO that roughly five to six unidentified armed men boarded the ship on the evening of January 4, 2024. Source: Dubai-based and international maritime authorities; follow-up confirmations from UKMTO were noted. Source: UKMTO.
There were prior statements from Houthi authorities declaring an intent to target merchant shipping in the Red Sea on a regular basis, with attacks reportedly planned every 12 hours. Source: Houthis’ public communications and maritime security briefings. Source: Houthi statements.