Houthi militants step up attacks on commercial ships in the red sea, crippling global trade

Bab al-Mandab Strait, Red Sea/London-UK, November 26, 2025

GLOBAL CHOKE POINT: Houthi Attacks Force 80% Decline in Red Sea Shipping, Driving Companies to Reroute Trade Around the Cape of Good Hope

Houthi Militants Step Up Attacks on Commercial Ships in the Red Sea, causing a dangerous resurgence in maritime risk and crippling global trade through one of the world’s most vital waterways.

Despite a fragile ceasefire holding in Gaza, which the Yemen-based group tied to a pause in their naval campaign, major shipping analysts and carriers remain deeply wary, fearing a collapse of the truce will ignite renewed, indiscriminate assaults.

The enduring threat has maintained a drastic 80 to 90 per cent decline in container ship traffic through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, forcing billions of dollars worth of goods to be diverted onto the far longer, more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope.

The attacks, which began in late 2023, have systematically targeted commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, the narrow maritime corridors essential for trade between Asia and Europe.

The Iran-aligned Houthis, operating from controlled territories in Yemen, frame their actions as an act of solidarity with Palestinians, claiming they target ships with perceived links to Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

This political posturing is backed by a sophisticated and escalating military capability.

Recent intelligence reports detail an evolution in tactics from simple drone and missile launches to complex, multi-domain “swarm” attacks involving explosive uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), anti-ship ballistic missiles, and armed speedboats, overwhelming vessel defences.

These assaults have already resulted in the sinking of multiple cargo ships, including the Eternity C and Magic Sea, and the deaths of civilian crew members.

The economic fallout from the sustained campaign has been profound and global. The Red Sea and the Suez Canal typically account for up to 15 per cent of international maritime trade and a significant proportion of global energy supplies.

The wholesale rerouting of trade around the southern tip of Africa adds approximately 11,000 nautical miles and between one to two weeks of transit time to each voyage.

This extended journey requires significantly more bunker fuel, adding an estimated $1 million or more in operational costs per trip, costs that are ultimately passed on to consumers globally in the form of elevated insurance premiums and supply chain inflation.

While the Houthis declared a nominal pause contingent on the Gaza ceasefire, major carriers like Maersk and MSC have remained cautious, citing the high-risk environment and the volatile political backdrop.

Their continued reluctance to fully resume normal service underscores the difficulty in insuring and manning vessels in a designated war risk zone.

The handful of large container ships that have tentatively transited the route recently, such as those from CMA CGM, often sail with substantial security measures in place, highlighting that safe passage is far from guaranteed.

The ongoing Houthi threat has necessitated a costly and comprehensive international naval response, led primarily by the United States and the United Kingdom.

The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian is a multinational coalition of over 20 nations dedicated to protecting freedom of navigation. Naval destroyers and aircraft carriers, notably the USS Eisenhower and USS Theodore Roosevelt strike groups, are engaged in near-daily defensive operations, successfully intercepting dozens of Houthi drones and missiles aimed at both commercial and military vessels.

The US and UK have also conducted joint retaliatory strikes against Houthi military targets within Yemen to degrade their launch capabilities, though these actions have not yet managed to permanently halt the attacks.

For the London-UK based CJ Global newspaper, the situation in the Red Sea represents a continuing, critical threat to economic stability.

The Houthi campaign successfully exposed the vulnerability of global maritime chokepoints and has cemented the group’s position as a major non-state actor with the capacity to inflict global economic pain.

The core challenge for the international community remains: how to secure this vital shipping lane without provoking a wider regional conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

Headline Points

Traffic Collapse:

Container ship traffic through the Red Sea has dropped by 80-90 per cent, as major carriers reroute trade around the Cape of Good Hope.

Economic Toll:

The rerouting adds up to two weeks of transit time and $1 million or more in fuel costs per voyage, contributing to global supply chain inflation.

Evolving Tactics:

Houthi militants use sophisticated, multi-domain “swarm” attacks involving drones, anti-ship missiles, and small armed boats, leading to the sinking of multiple commercial vessels.

International Response: A US-led coalition, Operation Prosperity Guardian, maintains a large naval presence, engaging in the interception of missiles and drones, alongside retaliatory US/UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

 * Geopolitical Root: The attacks are explicitly framed by the Iran-backed Houthis as solidarity with Palestinians, with the threat level directly tied to the highly unstable Gaza ceasefire situation.