Sudden! Maersk receives threatening email
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It is reported that a number of Danish shipping companies, including Maersk, and the Danish Shipping Employers Association (Danish Shipping) have confirmed receipt of threatening emails from the Houthi armed forces in Yemen.
The organization has launched multiple armed attacks on international merchant ships in the Red Sea over the past year. The Danish Shipping Employers Association confirmed to ShippingWatch that it had received several threatening emails, but did not disclose how many employees had been threatened.
The Danish Shipping Employers Association said the number of threatening emails was not an isolated case. At present, many Danish shipping companies, including Maersk and Uni-Tankers, as well as German shipping companies such as Hapag-Lloyd, have suffered attacks by Houthi armed forces in the past year.
A threatening email obtained by ShippingWatch shows that the Houthis warned that if Danish shipping companies continue to provide services to Israeli ports, their ships will be included in the "no-sail list."
The email clearly states that these ships will be prohibited from transiting the Red Sea, Bab Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, and may be subject to direct attack at any location the Houthis deem appropriate.
The German Shipowners Association (VDR) also reported that many German shipping companies have also received threatening emails from the Houthis in recent months.
These threats mainly target shipping routes involving the Red Sea, Bab Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Recently, the International Shipping Federation (ITF) also received a similar threatening email with content similar to the one sent to Danish shipping companies.
The ITF has proactively contacted the Houthis to inquire about the specific content of the ban. The Houthis responded that the ban covered all ships transiting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.
The Houthis’ position
The Houthi threat is linked to the group's support for Palestine. Since November last year, the Houthi armed forces have launched multiple attacks on commercial ships entering and exiting the Red Sea, especially those passing through the area.
The Houthis have made it clear that any shipment of goods involving Israel will face serious consequences. The threat has led many international shipping lines to reroute routes around southern Africa instead of passing through the Red Sea.
The future of Red Sea shipping
Due to the continued threat from the Houthis, the Red Sea, an important international waterway, is no longer the preferred route for commercial ships. Many shipping companies have adjusted their routes and diverted ships around southern Africa to avoid waters controlled by the Houthis.
This change has greatly affected shipping in the Red Sea and has also brought new uncertainties to the global supply chain.
Since November last year, Houthi armed forces’ attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea have become a major security risk for the global shipping industry. As the situation continues to become tense, further attention needs to be paid to how shipping companies and international organizations will respond to this challenge.
