Red Sea Crisis: Houthi Attacks Disrupt Global Shipping Routes as Naval Coalition Responds

Houthi forces in Yemen continue targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, forcing major shipping companies to reroute around Africa and prompting multinational naval responses in the strategic waterway.

The ongoing Houthi campaign against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has created the most significant disruption to global maritime trade routes in decades. Using a combination of anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and explosive-laden unmanned surface vehicles, Houthi forces have targeted commercial vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Major shipping companies including Maersk, MSC, and Hapag-Lloyd have diverted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 days to transit times and significantly increasing shipping costs. The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian and subsequent strikes against Houthi launch sites have failed to eliminate the threat. The crisis has highlighted vulnerabilities in global supply chains and demonstrated the asymmetric capability of non-state actors to disrupt international trade using relatively inexpensive weapons systems against high-value maritime targets.