Executives from shipping, insurance and retail industries told Reuters the risks remained too high to resume voyages through the Bab al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea through which exports to Western markets from the Gulf and Asia must pass before entering the Suez Canal.

U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers needing to leave the ongoing battle against Iran-backed Houthi rebel missile and drone barrages in the Red Sea to reload their Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) missile cells are causing a presence gap and “a real challenge,

The second reason is politics. The Houthis have made it clear that any re-opening of the route is contingent on the modalities and progress of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the implementation of which began on Sunday. “There are still many ifs and buts to the situation,” the executive said.

Containerships will see the biggest impact from a gradual return of shipping to the Red Sea in 2025 with demand falling by 4%, according to Clarksons. The Houthis on Sunday announced an end to attacks on all non-Israeli shipping as long as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holds, and the US and UK do not attack sites that they control.

The Yemen-based Houthis signaled a pause in their months-long attacks on commercial ships following a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Average capacity offered on Asia-to-Europe routes has increased just 8.8 percent, despite 31 percent more ships on the route, according to Alphaliner.

A risky operation to salvage an oil tanker attacked by Houthi militants in the Red Sea and avert what could have been one of the largest oil spills in recorded history has been completed, British maritime security company Ambrey and Greece have said.

The air-defense loadout, the name for which was made official in Navy documentation, consists of four AIM-9X and five AIM-120 air-to-air missiles.

The Houthis' announcement, made in an email sent to shippers, likely won't be enough to encourage global firms to reenter the route that's crucial for cargo and energy shipments moving between Asia and Europe.

Yemen's Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israel-linked ships provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented, the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOOC) said. The Sanaa-bsed HOCC,

Asharq Al Awsat Yemen's Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to Israeli-linked ships after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, according to the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center.