December 18, 2023 – Shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd both confirmed on Friday that they have paused all planned transits of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while the shipping industry is calling for immediate actions and a stop to the “flagrant breach of international law” that is risking the lives of seafarers and global trade. The actions came after the recent escalation, which saw a missile land close to a Maersk containership on Thursday, a confirmed strike on a Hapag vessel on Friday, and two MSC containerships targeted by the Houthi with one possibly struck.