US Navy Intercepts Missiles in Red Sea While Protecting Maersk Ships

Maersk mentioned that the explosions close by compelled two vessels operated by the U.S. subsidiary and carrying U.S. military supplies to turn around when they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, accompanied by the U.S. Navy. While on the route, both the vessels reported that they had seen explosions close by, and the U.S. Navy accompaniment intercepted several projectiles, Maersk mentioned in a statement, adding that it was suspending all Red Sea transits by vessels of the U.S. subsidiary.

A spokesperson with Yemen’s Houthi military forces mentioned that they fired multiple ballistic missiles at various U.S. war vessels that were safeguarding the two U.S. commercial vessels.

The Maersk Line runs the Commercial Vessels, Limited (abbreviated the MLL), its U.S. subsidiary, which transports the cargo for the Departments of Defense and State, the USAID, and other U.S. governmental agencies. Both vessels are enrolled in the Maritime Security Program (abbreviated the MSP) and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (the VISA) with the U.S. government, which is why they had been escorted via the strait by the U.S. Navy vessels, Maersk mentioned.

MSP and VISA are programs the U.S. Defense Department facilitates to transport supplies, forces, and equipment during war or national emergencies. The vessels and crew members were safe and were being escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the U.S. Navy, Maersk stated. Bab al-Mandab is the outlet of the waters of the Red Sea, between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.