How Houthis Changed Global Trade Routes

According to US intelligence sources, Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red and Arabian Seas has affected the interests of at least 65 countries as reported by Al Jazeera.

The attacks also affected the interests of 29 mega energy and cargo companies because of the needed rerouting from the Yemen’s Bab El Mandeb, to going around the Cope of Good Hope on the tip of Southern Africa.

The satellite channel pointed out 19 ships were damaged by such attacks between November 2023 till last March.

And today, the Houthi attacks continue and are seen as a major security challenge to world trade and free shipping. But the Houthis have also maintained that from the start, they would only target ships bound for Eilat and other Israeli ports.

Since the attacks started however, 100s of ships have been diverted from the narrow Bab El Mandeb on the corner tip of Yemen to the Cape of Good Hope which has tremendously affected global trade.

The Red Sea route used to be busy accounting for 12 percent of world trade going through the Suez Canal and which is estimated to be worth $1 trillion each year. As well, 10 percent of the world’s energy supplies go through the narrow Yemeni straits. 

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Israeli Official: ‘Life in The North is Dead’

Head of the Israeli Regional Council Moshe Davidovich expressed sorrow over the situation in the north, saying: “It’s a feeling we’ve experienced before, and we wish we could be rid of it.”

In an interview published by Israel’s Channel 14 on Sunday, Davidovich noted that “the residents of the north have been displaced and subjected to relentless shelling for nearly two years.”

Following the increasing number of Israeli soldiers injured in attacks by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon in response to the aggression, Davidovich called on his government to take action to “minimize casualties.”

He also raised another important point, saying: “Everyone is now embracing the residents of the north and saying they are with us, but at the same time I hear that the government intends to cut the north’s budget.” He asked: “How can this be?” describing the Tel Aviv government’s actions toward its own residents as “neglect.”

Life in the North is Nearly Dead

Davidovich addressed the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying: “People here are unemployed, agriculture is nearly dead, and tourism has come to a standstill,” urging them to take action and not simply ignore the situation.

He criticized his government’s intention to “cut budgets,” saying: “We give generously, but I don’t want to hear that word. It’s inappropriate and incorrect, and ultimately, it represents a law that harms us.”

Regarding the settlers in northern occupied Palestine, Davidovich said it is not right for them to remain there, describing the situation as difficult after two arduous years, adding that a recurring scene is their “descending to shelters.”

Israel Surprised by Hezbollah’s Response

Israeli media outlets report that the “political leaders” in the occupation government are shocked by Hezbollah’s response and feel powerless in the face of it.

Other media outlets report that “living in the north is not easy, and the situation is more complex than it was during the 2023-2024 war,” while Yedioth Ahronoth asserts that Hezbollah is neither disintegrating nor collapsing, and consistently succeeds in maintaining an organized chain of command and control.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv acknowledges that the party “remains alive and active, launching rockets even deep into Israeli territory, and is not firing indiscriminately.”

Channel 12 admits that the Israeli army was surprised by Hezbollah’s attack despite warnings, and that its soldiers’ assessments of the party’s capabilities were incorrect. JO24

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