DAVOS: Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Yemenis attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea are connected to the war in Gaza and there is a need for an immediate ceasefire there.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud said during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos that the kingdom's priority is finding a path to de-escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.
Prince Faisal said securing regional peace through the creation of a Palestinian state was "something we have been indeed working on with the US administration, and it is more relevant in the context of Gaza".
An empty Malta-flagged bulk carrier was hit by a missile while heading north through the Red Sea, 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef, a security firm and two Greek shipping ministry sources said on Tuesday.
Attacks on ships in the area since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers, in an escalation of Israel's war in Gaza. The Yemenis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
As well as disrupting supply chains, there are fears that the attacks could make it more difficult for policymakers to keep global inflation in check.
British and American ships had become "legitimate targets" due to the strikes launched on Yemen last week, Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesperson for the Yemeni group.
The Ansar Allah group had previously said it would attack only Israeli ships or those en route to Israel.
Underlining concerns, Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK Line, has instructed its vessels navigating near the Red Sea to wait in safe waters and is considering route changes, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.
In the latest apparent attack, the US Central Command said forces in Yemen struck the US-owned and operated dry bulk ship Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile on Monday. There were no reports of injuries or significant damage.
Container vessels have been pausing or diverting from the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest freight route from Asia to Europe. Many ships have been forced to take the longer route via South Africa's Cape of Good Hope instead.
About 12 per cent of world shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal via the Red Sea.
Vessels supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar are among the many ships being forced to sail around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. That diversion can add about nine days to the normally 18-day trip from Qatar to northwest Europe. — Reuters
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