Escalation of Israel-Iran war leads to fears of closure of Strait of Hormuz, renewed Houthi attacks on merchant shipping

With the Israel-Iran war continuing and Iran having vowed retaliation following US aerial attacks over the weekend, all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz which might be liable to become closed to shipping. The Houthi rebels have also threatened to renew attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea area if the US were to enter the war.

Iran’s parliament is reported today to have voted to block the Strait of Hormuz but experts are unsure if Iran will actually go through with its threats.   

CMA CGM, for example, yesterday evening issued an alert to customers that the geopolitical context affecting the Middle East was evolving, stressing that the safety of its teams, vessels, and cargo remained the Group’s priority.

“The dedicated monitoring cell we have set up enables us to monitor developments very closely to ensure maximum security for our operations and your cargo,” CMA CGM said. “At this stage, we confirm that shipping activities are proceeding as normal in the area, and that our operations and logistics chains remain unchanged.”

The French liner group added that it was continuing to ensure full-service coverage across all routes and ports of call. Customers were invited to contact their local CMA CGM office for any questions, bookings or documentation.

Security specialist Ambrey issued a threat assesses at the end of last week saying there was “a realistic possibility that US, UK, and allied-affiliated vessels may face heightened risk during transit if their states participate in military action against the Houthis or Iran. Other merchant shipping is assessed to be at a low risk.”

Ambrey pointed out that the last attempted Houthi attack against a merchant vessel occurred on 26 Dec 2024. However, escalation of the Middle East situation in the last couple of days means that some fear this may prove only a six-month hiatus.