Denmark-based shipping giant Maersk announced Sunday it plans to resume routes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, days after the U.S. said it was forming a coalition with several nations to defend vessels from Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Maersk paused routes through the Bab el-Mandeb strait earlier in December because of attacks against its ships, and the Suez Canal, which is heavily traversed by ships from around the world, became unusable for most routes.
Without the route, global commerce was bound to be hit hard, as many companies chose to reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
On Dec. 19, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said ships and aircraft of several nations would join the U.S. in conducting surveillance and taking defensive action against Houthi rebels who target commercial ships in the Red Sea, in what is being called, “Operation Prosperity Guardian.”
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Kirby also said the U.S. and others — including 44 signatories including NATO, the entire European Union and G7 — condemning “in the strongest terms” the threats and acts by the Houthis.
Maersk said on Sunday it had received confirmation that Operation Prosperity Guardian was in place and sailings would resume through the Suez Canal.
“As of Sunday 24 December 2023, we have received confirmation that the previously announced multi-national security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) had been set up and deployed to allow maritime commerce to pass through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden and once again return to using the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe,” Maersk said in a statement obtained by Reuters. “With the OPG initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound.”
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More details were expected to be released in the coming days, according to Maersk, adding it could very well revert to sending ships on other routes if conditions deteriorate.
Fox News Digital reached out to Maersk for comment and did not immediately hear back.
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Last Tuesday, Maersk announced it was rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
The move meant surcharges would be imposed for shipments from Asia to cover added costs that come with a longer journey.
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Another company that stopped transiting the Red Sea because of safety concerns was oil company BP.
Reuters contributed to this report.