Shipping threats rising in Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict

Shipping organization Bimco has warned that commercial freight ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden are under increased threat due to the escalating Israel–Iran conflict. 

After the US launched a full-fledged attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities, things have turned even more serious, with Bimco warning that Iran could use antiship missiles or drones to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Moreover, the threat related to Houthi rebels in Yemen has also risen, owing to the fact that they are loyalists of the Iranian regime, and have also said that they would attack US ships and vessels if the Trump administration joined Israel in the ongoing conflict. 

The obvious targets for Iran or the Houthi rebels would be US warships, vessels, and the nation’s affiliated merchant ships. Israeli merchant ships could also be possible targets amid the ongoing conflict, as per a CNBC report. 

U.S. warships and merchant ships affiliated with Israel or the U.S. would be the preferred targets for Iran, and freight ships are still crossing the Strait of Hormuz, but “things might change by the hour,” a spokesman for container ship company Hapag-Lloyd was quoted as telling CNBC.