Rising tensions in West Asia may spread further as Yemen’s Houthis indicate readiness to support Iran, with strategic Red Sea routes emerging as a potential flashpoint.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced on Tuesday a 15 per cent discount on transit fees for large container ships beginning Thursday, aiming to encourage major shipping lines to return to the waterway amid improving security conditions in the Red Sea.
Israel's military issued an urgent warning, advising all civilians and workers to evacuate three Red Sea ports in Yemen controlled by Houthi forces, citing the risk of a possible new strike.
A new round of US airstrikes struck Yemen's capital Sanaa, wounding at least nine people, including seven women and two children.
Yemen's Houthi group has claimed responsibility for launching missile and drone attacks against two commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
In a world where chaos seems to be finding new fronts, the recent surge in maritime tensions paints a disturbing picture of a once serene expanse turned battleground.
Indian foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar visited Tehran on Monday and met his counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian. He also called on the Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi.
The attack occured at 10:30 pm on Saturday, hours after another tanker MV Chem Pluto was hit by a drone strike in the Arabian Sea.
Oil and natural gas prices rose sharply on Monday after BP said it would pause all shipments through the Red Sea because of increased attacks on commercial vessels by Houthi militants in Yemen, a media report said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels said on Thursday the security and safety of international navigation in the Red Sea is linked to ending the Israel-Hamas conflict, when responding to a statement by the G7.
