Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis are threatening merchant ships hundreds of miles out in the Indian Ocean after striking a container vessel well beyond the Red Sea last week, maritime officials and experts have warned.
The drone attack on the MSC Orion on the night of April 26 followed a threat by the Houthis in March to extend their attacks to the Indian Ocean, including on commercial vessels sailing between Asia and Europe around the Cape of Good Hope.
Many shipping companies have switched to that longer route to avoid Houthi attacks on the approaches to the Suez Canal in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
