World's most crucial logistics point blocked. This was done by Yemeni rebels with very primitive methods. The Western guards of freedom of navigation can't handle it.
When another war broke out last October 7, this time in the mediate East, the Huti tribes joined the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. A fewer years ago, they seized part of South Yemen, possibly the poorest part of the Earth. In November, the rebels landed a Galaxy Leader ship with Israeli cargo. They surrounded him with fast boats, made a landing from the helicopter, took the ship and abducted him to the port where he is inactive being held today. They put the video of the robbery on the net so it's clear it's not a joke.
The insurgents utilized the strategical location of this phantom country at a key point in planet trade, at the narrow Bab-el-Mandep Pass between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It's the confederate gate to the Suez Canal. There was 30% of global container transport, a crucial share (12%) of oil and LNG (8%). This is the shortest connection between Asia and the Arabian Gulf and Europe, which Poland has besides used, importing oil from Saudi Arabia (the largest supplier currently) and natural gas from Qatar.
Initially, Huti declared attacking only Israeli ships, so these immediately disappeared from that area. After the Anglo-Saxon rocket bombings of Yemen, all ships associated with aggressors became targets. The merchant ships were attacked with submarines, remote-controlled boats that could penetrate the ship's side, detonate and severely harm it, as well as air drones or just rockets. Huti besides hit American warships, and they were the largest and most celebrated ones, like the aircraft carrier "Eisenhower". No luck, but... they forced the 5th Fleet to disembark. For the US Navy it is the most intense conflict after planet War II. Already for a fewer months in tension circular the clock, all day trying to shoot down or halt respective – respective attacking objects.
Despite this effort, the global guardian of freedom of navigation failed to guarantee the safety of the commercial fleet. Although the mobilization took place quickly, French and American warships began shooting down the rebel drones and rockets in December. On December 19, Washington announced a naval coalition of "Prosperity Guard". However, it was made public besides quickly, without consulting allies, and then it had to be straightened out, as crucial European players (France, Germany) are not so aggressively disposed, nor do they want to engage in the war on the side of Israel. They have established another “Aspides”, which, unlike the “Prosperity Guardian”, is purely defensive, only escorting and defending ships against attacks, and does not shoot the territory of Yemen. Neither does the Navy of Italy, Spain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia want to do this. The Saudis even force Americans not to escalate the war in the region due to the fact that the full planet can take care of fire.
The order-finding operation proved to be a failure – the container ships' movement through the Suez Canal fell by 90%. In June alone 52 ships were attacked, 5 of them were damaged, and 2 others sank. Like Verbena, a ship with a Ukrainian owner, managed from Poland, who received respective devastating rocket strikes. The crew had to leave the deck erstwhile another rocket arrived again after 24 hours and started a fire. The ship sank, as did the Rubymar bulk ship, attacked on February 18, which for 2 weeks collected water from rocket strikes to yet go down with the fertilizers carried. Similarly, in June, the Greek “Titor”, whose crew had already left the deck. In July, the attacks weakened, only 23 incidents, and only 3 ships were damaged. But the threat continues to this day.
The blockade of the Suez Canal cut a massive gap in global logistics. The largest maritime carriers have chosen a much longer way around the Cape of Good Hope by sailing all over Africa. This increased the cost of planet trade. The Huti by primitive means cut a immense gap at the most crucial point of the sea transport, striking and blocking the narrow throat between Asia and Europe, through which goods of the trillion dollar value flow annually (this is more than the full Polish economy). Local wars have their unwanted and unpredictable consequences.
Andrzej Szczęsniak
photo of wikipedia
Think Poland, No. 35-36 (25.08-1.09.2024)
