Maersk to Resume Red Sea Transits Amid U.S. Launch of ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’- Israel/Gaza Conflict
Danish container shipping major Maersk is gearing up to restart vessel transits through the Red Sea after deploying naval assets in the region under the multinational security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG).
The United States initiated this new multinational security operation, led by Task Force 153 under the Combined Maritime Forces, to address security concerns in the Red Sea. Alongside the United States, countries such as the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain have also joined the initiative.
Like several other carriers, Maersk had suspended vessel transits in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to increased security risks and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi Group. The Houthis had threatened to target commercial vessels linked to Israel or heading to Israel, demanding a halt to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.
Maersk’s containerships became targets, prompting the company to halt all journeys for its vessels in the area. Subsequently, Maersk, following the lead of other carriers, rerouted its vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope for safety reasons.
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In a statement on Christmas Eve, Maersk announced, “With the OPG initiative in operation, we are preparing to allow for vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound.” The company is working on plans for the first vessels to make the transit, prioritizing the safety of its employees as the primary concern in managing the challenging situation in the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden area.
“Our teams are still assessing the immediate effects of the resolution, and we kindly request your patience while we understand the impact it will have in terms of diverted vessels, surcharges, booking acceptance, and further contingency measures. We will communicate the latest details of this new setup with you as soon as we have more information, which we expect in the coming days.”
