CMA CGM container ship enters the Red Sea again! Houthi armed forces announce latest attack target!
After suspending navigation in the Red Sea on February 1, CMA CGM dispatched a container ship to sail through the Red Sea on the 20th. On the same day, the Houthi armed forces stated that they attacked the Israeli ship "MSC Silver II" (actually operated by Mediterranean Shipping (MSC)) near the Gulf of Aden with multiple missiles.
CMA CGM container ship Jules Verne (186,470 dwt) transited the Red Sea for the first time in nearly three weeks.
The company confirmed the trip in a brief statement to the Maritime Executive, saying: In coordination with the French Navy, CMA CGM Jules Verne successfully passed through the Red Sea under the escort of the frigate Alsace. For the safety of our crew and ship, CMA CGM will not comment further.
CMA CGM announced that it would suspend all transit activities in the Red Sea starting from February 1 after one of its ships was targeted by Houthi armed forces. Until then, the shipping line has been sending a limited number of ships through the Suez Canal and Red Sea on a case-by-case basis.
CMA CGM did not give a clear explanation as to why the "Jules Verne" maintained its original route, nor did it disclose whether other ships would continue to use this route.
Guillaume Caill, Benelux senior manager of sea freight, warned in the Flexport freight market update on the 20th that geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea region are escalating as naval activities increase, and this situation may continue for several months.
While supply chain stakeholders have quickly adapted to the new routes, punctuality rates between the Far East and Europe have dropped below 50%, according to Sea-Intelligence. "Schedule reliability has become a concern and will continue to be so for at least a few months," Caill added.
Facing the continued tension in the Red Sea region, Hapag-Lloyd has recently made business adjustments. On February 20, Hapag-Lloyd announced the launch of the new Turkey-Red Sea feeder service TRS (Türiye Red Sea Feeder Service) to cope with current shipping challenges.
The TRS route will make its maiden voyage from Iskenderun Port in Turkey on March 3. The maiden voyage will be the "LEYLA KALKAVAN" ship. The port of call sequence is: Iskenderun (Turkey) - Mersin (Turkey) - Kyrgyzstan Darfur (Saudi Arabia) - Aqaba (Jordan) - Iskenderun (Turkey).
Recently, the Houthi armed forces have once again upgraded their attack methods and frequency. According to statistics, three ships have been attacked within a week. Just yesterday, the Houthi armed forces once again announced their new target. This time they targeted the largest container shipping company, MSC.
On the evening of February 20, local time, Houthi armed spokesman Yahya Saraya issued a statement stating that the Houthi armed forces had used multiple missiles to attack the general cargo ship "MSC Silver II" operated and managed by MSC.
Security analysts have confirmed reports that a cargo ship bound for Somalia was attacked. The ship is a general cargo ship registered in Liberia, named "MSC Silver II" (37,500 deadweight tons), and is managed by Mediterranean Shipping Management Company. The ship is equipped with a deck crane and can load approximately 800 containers.
According to reports, the "MSC Silver II" was not damaged, and its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal showed that the ship was currently docked in Berbera, Somalia.
Houthi armed spokesman Yahya Sarri said that MSC SILVER II is an Israeli ship.
But according to the Equasis database, the vessel is operated by MSC and owned by Silverfjord Oceanway, with its address listed at the Swiss giant's MSC ship management office in Cyprus. Tracking data shows the ship has not called at an Israeli port since 2020. The ship has no apparent connection to Israel.
In this regard, maritime security company Ambrey Analytics pointed out that it may be related to MSC having been cooperating with Israeli container ship operator Zim. In September last year, Zim announced a cooperation agreement with MSC on multiple trade issues. The company's ships regularly call at Israeli ports.
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