The seizure of a ship operated by a Japanese shipping company by the Houthi forces in Yemen, a proxy of Iran, and on board a crew of various nationalities (without Israelis), raises once again issues regarding the sensitivity of freedom of navigation, and in turn, global trade and maritime supply chains, to threats by global terrorist armies, with an emphasis on the Iranian proxy forces.
One of the main weak points of maritime supply chains is narrow waterways and maritime straits. In these areas, disruptions can occur, to the point of blocking sea and trade routes. The areas that most significantly affect the traffic routes to and from the State of Israel are the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the nearby areas, including the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar.
The incident in question, even if it was not carried out on an Israeli ship or in an Israeli context, once again presents the threat of Iran and its proxies to global freedom of navigation in general and the ability to significantly damage the economy of an island country such as the State of Israel, where the decided majority of the movement of goods to and from the country occurs through maritime supply chains. The seizure once again raises the need for the countries of the world in general and the countries of the region in particular to unite around the fight against Iranian maritime aggression, which is manifested in activity by Iranian forces or their proxies in strategic weak points for the global economy and maritime supply chains. Such activity, if not eradicated soon, has the potential for significant damage – and not only to the countries of the region, since continued damage will cause an increase in sea freight prices due to an increase in insurance prices. This in turn will have a widespread and significant impact on broader circles as well.
The seizure of a ship operated by a Japanese shipping company by the Houthi forces in Yemen, a proxy of Iran, and on board a crew of various nationalities (without Israelis), raises once again issues regarding the sensitivity of freedom of navigation, and in turn, global trade and maritime supply chains, to threats by global terrorist armies, with an emphasis on the Iranian proxy forces.
One of the main weak points of maritime supply chains is narrow waterways and maritime straits. In these areas, disruptions can occur, to the point of blocking sea and trade routes. The areas that most significantly affect the traffic routes to and from the State of Israel are the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the nearby areas, including the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar.
The incident in question, even if it was not carried out on an Israeli ship or in an Israeli context, once again presents the threat of Iran and its proxies to global freedom of navigation in general and the ability to significantly damage the economy of an island country such as the State of Israel, where the decided majority of the movement of goods to and from the country occurs through maritime supply chains. The seizure once again raises the need for the countries of the world in general and the countries of the region in particular to unite around the fight against Iranian maritime aggression, which is manifested in activity by Iranian forces or their proxies in strategic weak points for the global economy and maritime supply chains. Such activity, if not eradicated soon, has the potential for significant damage – and not only to the countries of the region, since continued damage will cause an increase in sea freight prices due to an increase in insurance prices. This in turn will have a widespread and significant impact on broader circles as well.