Shell halts shipments through Red Sea over Houthi fears: Report

A prominent British oil company has halted all shipments through the Red Sea, according to people familiar with the matter, just days after the US and UK launched their first strikes against Yemen’s Houthis with the hopes of deterring the Iran-backed group from continuing attacks on commercial vessels.

The Houthis, which US President Joe Biden removed from the terror blacklist shortly after taking office, have repeatedly targeted tankers, vessels and military warships in the Red Sea over what they say is in response to the Gaza war.

The Houthis have claimed that the targeted ships have been on their way to Israel.

According to people who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, British oil company Shell followed other companies by halting shipments through the area over fears that more attacks and escalation could be imminent.

BP and Qatar Energy announced similar moves last week, the WSJ reported.