More Houthis attacks in the Red Sea will have “major global economic consequences”, a maritime security analyst has said.
Ian Ralby told Sky News that the Yemen-based group’s “taste of global relevance” may inspire them “to be more aggressive and more hostile”.
He said the Red Sea accounts for 10% of global energy supply and 30% of container traffic, but shipping firms will continue to pause operations there if the Houthis are not brought under control.
“The world’s economy is largely dependent on the free-flow [of commerce] through the Red Sea and if it is impeded and continued to be hampered by Houthis attacks, we could see major global economic consequences,” Mr Ralby said.
Part of the problem is that the Houthis “act in ways that do not track how we would consider rational thinking to function”, said Mr Ralby, adding they were “well practiced at chaos” and traded on unpredictability.
The group poses “a very credible, very serious threat” to maritime commerce and the lives of seafarers, he said.
He explained they have access to high tech weaponry that commercial ships cannot defend against, making them a bigger threat than Somali piracy was.
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