US Navy blocks missiles in Red Sea while escorting Maersk ships

FILE PHOTO: An aircraft takes off to join the US-led coalition to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen, aimed at the Iran-backed Houthi militia that has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, from an undisclosed location, in this handout picture released on January 12, 2024. US Central Command via X/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

COPENHAGEN — Maersk said explosions nearby forced two ships operated by its US subsidiary and carrying US military supplies to turn around when they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait northbound accompanied by the US Navy.

“While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles,” Maersk said in a statement, adding it was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of the US subsidiary.

A spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi military forces said they fired ballistic missiles at several US warships that were protecting two US commercial vessels.

Both commercial vessels are operated by Maersk Line, Limited (MLL), its US subsidiary that carries cargo for the Department of Defense, Department of State, USAID, and other US government agencies.

Both are enrolled in the Maritime Security Program (MSP) and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) with the US government, which is why they were escorted through the strait by US Navy vessels, Maersk said.

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MSP and VISA are programs run by the US Defense Department to transport forces, supplies, and equipment during times of war or national emergency.

The vessels and crew were unharmed and were being escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the US Navy, Maersk said. Bab al-Mandab is the outlet of the Red Sea, between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.

The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement that Houthi forces targeted a number of US warships with ballistic missiles on Wednesday in a “clash” that lasted more than two hours and led to a US warship being directly hit and the two commercial vessels having “to withdraw and return.”

“Several of our ballistic missiles struck their targets despite warships’ attempts to intercept them,” the statement said.

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Houthi forces fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the US-flagged container ship Maersk Detroit on Wednesday, January 24, as it was transiting the Gulf of Aden, the US Central Command said separately.

There were no reports of injuries or damage to the ship, it added in a statement.

On January 5, Maersk said it would divert its container vessels away from the Red Sea for the foreseeable future. Until Wednesday, MLL ships were the exception, but that would no longer be the case, Maersk said.

“Following the escalation of risk, MLL is suspending transits in the region until further notice,” it said on Wednesday.