Retreat of the Danish Company from the Red Sea

US Central Command (CENTCOM) today announced new Yemeni Army actions in the Red Sea. The Yemeni army fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, but no commercial vessels were hit, according to CENTCOM. In support of the Palestinian nation, the Yemeni army attacks Zionist commercial ships or ships heading to the occupied territories, but other ships are free to navigate and enjoy safety. Danish (the world's largest) shipping company Maersk said in a statement that it had stopped transit through the Red Sea from Tuesday until further notice, and ships would deliver cargo to destinations bypassing the African continent and the Cape of Good Hope. Oil prices rose in trading on Tuesday as the Red Sea became an important waterway for global cargo, with the global Brent crude oil index reaching $78.27 a barrel while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude traded at 72. $67 per barrel. The US recently said it had created a naval coalition to counter attacks by the Yemeni army in the Red Sea. But France, Spain, Italy and Australia, having confirmed their withdrawal from this coalition, refused to transfer their warships to American command. The naval alliance has faced a cold response from regional countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while Egypt has also refused to join the alliance. The US Department of Defense has announced that more than 20 countries are participating in a defense coalition force to ensure the free movement of billions of dollars of cargo in the Red Sea waters near Yemen, but nearly half of those countries have officially declined to join the task force. The reluctance of some US allies to join the effort partly reflects the division caused by the war in the Gaza Strip. France's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, announced that the council may convene a meeting today on the situation in the Red Sea.