The United States and the United Kingdom have launched a string of airstrikes against targets in Yemen’s strategic western province of Hudaydah in response to continued attacks by Yemeni Armed Forces against Israeli-affiliated commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Yemen’s official Saba news agency, citing a security source speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that two airstrikes hit al-Kuwaizi area in the al-Durayhimi district late on Friday. No further details about any casualties were immediately available.
The development came hours after US and British forces conducted three strikes against positions in the Port of Ras Isa.
Diana Shipping’s vessels avoiding Suez Canal
Meanwhile, Diana Shipping Inc., a global provider of shipping transportation services, announced on Friday that it had joined the world’s largest shipping companies in avoiding the Suez Canal route following a spate of attacks in the Red Sea.
“Suez Canal transits are running about 40% below those seen during the first half of December last year. This is partially the result of several operators including ourselves avoiding the area,” Diana Shipping President Anastasios Margaronis said.
The canal is a key trade link between Europe and Asia, channeling nearly 12% of the global cargo. The ongoing operations in the Red Sea, however, are forcing shipping companies to use longer routes, disrupting their schedules while adding to their costs.
The United States and Britain have been carrying out such strikes on Yemen since Washington and its allies offered the Tel Aviv regime unqualified support and said Yemeni forces bear the consequences of attacks against Israeli-owned ships or merchant vessels heading to the occupied territories.
The Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have said they won’t stop retaliatory strikes.
The maritime attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.
