According to recent maritime data, Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, particularly those with Israeli links, have led some companies to reroute their ships away from the Suez Canal and the strategic Bab al-Mandab chokepoint. Such vessels have been observed taking the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope to reach Europe and Asia, increasing their transit time. Although attacks emanating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen have been contained so far, the risk of major disruption to global trade will remain high as long as commercial ships operated by various nationalities are being targeted.

Attacks Before and Since the Gaza War
The threat to local maritime security has been growing over the past few years, and the Hamas-Israel war has magnified it. Previously, the Houthis targeted ships linked to countries involved in the Saudi-led coalition war in Yemen. In 2018, for instance, they set their sights on crude oil tankers belonging to Bahri, Saudi Arabia’s national shipping carrier, attacking the vessels as they sailed through the Bab al-Mandab Strait either en route to or returning from the Red Sea and Suez Canal. In response, the Saudi Energy Ministry suspended oil shipments through the chokepoint for around twelve days (apparently not long enough to make shippers pursue alternate routes, though they might do so in the event of a lengthier disruption).