Shipping Industry Leaders Urge Greater International Action to Curb Houthi Attacks

A ship sails through the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea in Ismailia, Egypt, on Jan. 10, 2024. (Sayed Hassan/Getty Images)

A coalition of shipping industry leaders on June 19 renewed calls for the international community to step in and protect ships sailing through Red Sea shipping lanes as attacks by Houthi terrorists in Yemen continue.

“It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs, vital jobs which keep the world warm, fed, and clothed,” reads a joint statement signed by the heads of 15 maritime shipping trade associations and organizations.

The industry leaders said the attacks in the Red Sea and the adjoining waterways had become unacceptable.

“We call for states with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea,” the joint letter states.

“We have heard the condemnation and appreciate the words of support, but we urgently seek action to stop the unlawful attacks on these vital workers and this vital industry.”

The joint letter—with support from such groups as the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners, the International Chamber of Shipping, and the World Shipping Council—was issued about a week after the Houthis crippled one vessel with an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat and severely damaged another with a pair of missile strikes.

A sailor aboard the MV Tutor, the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned bulk carrier struck by the explosive drone boat, was killed as a result of the June 12 attack.

Another sailor aboard the MV Verbena was severely injured when a pair of missiles struck the Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated bulk cargo carrier on June 13.

The U.S. Central Command reported that the ship’s crew had to abandon their vessel two days later, on June 15, after struggling to contain onboard fires.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations office, a maritime monitoring component affiliated with the British navy, reported on June 18 that the Tutor had sunk as a result of the damage it sustained.

The Greek-owned vessel would be the second commercial vessel to be sunk since the Houthis—a designated terrorist group—first began attacking commercial shipping in October.

The Belize-flagged MV Rubymar slipped below the waves on March 2, two weeks after the Houthis struck it with an anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18.

The U.S. military has intercepted many of the Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen since October.

In December, the U.S. Department of Defense formally announced an effort, dubbed “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” in what it hoped would be the start of a U.S.-led multilateral peacekeeping mission to protect the Red Sea waterways.

Since then, the operation has received support from the UK, Australia, Canada, and several other countries.

In addition, the United States and the UK have conducted several strikes inside Yemen targeting suspected Houthi drone and missile launch sites.

Another, European Union-organized mission known as “Operation Aspides” began in February to accompany and shield commercial vessels against Houthi attacks.

The Houthis have landed blows against several commercial vessels despite the international military efforts to protect shipping, the U.S. and British strikes inside Yemen, and new economic sanctions targeting suspected Houthi weapon suppliers.

This pattern of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships began in October following the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and that their attacks have targeted commercial vessels bound or otherwise connected to Israel.

The Yemeni faction has also said their attacks will continue until the fighting in the Gaza Strip ends.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby pushed back on Houthi claims they’re supporting the Palestinians.

“They talk a mighty good game, but their actions speak a hell of a lot louder, Mr. Kirby said during a June 17 White House press briefing as he discussed a new round of sanctions targeting Houthi weapons suppliers. ”They don’t care a whit about Palestinians in Gaza. And this isn’t some principled stand they’re taking. It’s terrorism.”