Exclusive shipping intelligence from Yi Shipping has just confirmed that the leadership of Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced an end to its established operations targeting maritime interests linked to Israel, suspending all armed strikes on merchant ships navigating the Red Sea. This landmark development formally brings the two-year-long Red Sea crisis to an end.
Since a U.S.-Houthi ceasefire brokered by Oman in May this year, the Houthi faction had theoretically restricted its maritime attacks only to vessels with Israeli ties. However, frequent inaccurate targeting by Houthi forces meant most shipping companies with Western affiliations opted to avoid the Red Sea entirely to evade accidental strikes.
With the Houthi’s new blanket suspension of all assaults, the widespread maritime threat has been lifted. Normal shipping operations through the Red Sea and Suez Canal are expected to resume after a period of cautious market observation. Safe passage across the Red Sea will deliver much-needed revenue to the Suez Canal Authority, yet it will hurt the financial performance of ocean carriers that benefited from diverting voyages around the Cape of Good Hope.
The Houthi policy shift was disclosed in an open letter issued by Major General Yusuf Hassan Al-Madani, the newly appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Houthi armed forces. His predecessor, Major General Muhammad Al-Ghamari, was killed in an airstrike on August 28, alongside the Houthi prime minister and most cabinet members. Al-Ghamari was widely recognized as the mastermind behind the anti-shipping campaign and ballistic missile assaults targeting Israeli territory.
In the letter, the Houthi authorities stated they would not only cease attacks on Israel-linked vessels but also lift the so-called “blockade” on Israeli ports — a measure previously enforced by indiscriminately launching ballistic missiles at targets within Israel. While regional tensions have broadly eased, the Houthi movement reaffirmed its allegiance to Hamas, warning that hostile operations could resume immediately if any Gaza-related peace agreements fall apart.
The exact motives behind the Houthi’s timing for this ceasefire announcement remain unclear. What is certain is that the Houthi core leadership has endured immense pressure over recent weeks. U.S. and Israeli airstrikes have destroyed large swathes of the faction’s missile and drone infrastructure; more critically, the deaths of multiple senior Houthi commanders in these strikes have left the movement severely demoralized.
The Houthi faction also fears political isolation amid advancing regional reconciliation efforts. For instance, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, President of Syria, and Tariq Saleh, leader of Yemen’s National Resistance Movement, recently appeared side-by-side at COP30, the UN Climate Change Conference held in Brazil. Sustained anti-shipping and confrontational tactics would risk alienating the Houthi movement from regional diplomatic blocs. While the Houthi will not publicly credit external mediators, Oman’s mediation and diplomatic outreach have played an evident role in prompting this policy reversal.
Timeline of the Red Sea Crisis
Trigger Event: Outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023
November 19, 2023: The Houthi movement announces a “blockade of vessels bound for Israel” and carries out its first interception and hijacking of an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea — the Galaxy Leader, owned by a Japanese shipowner, managed by a British firm, and chartered by an Israeli enterprise.
Subsequent Developments: The Houthi launched continuous drone, anti-ship missile and cruise missile strikes on all merchant vessels deemed affiliated with Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom or their allied nations.
December 2023: Multiple merchant vessels operated by major carriers including Maersk, MSC and Hapag-Lloyd were hit by missile attacks in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
January 2024: The U.S. and UK launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, assembling a multinational joint maritime escort task force.
February 2024 onwards: The Houthi began deploying anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) to directly target large oil tankers and container ships.
Mid-to-Late 2024: Attack coverage expanded to the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman, forcing global shipping lines to reroute cargo via the Cape of Good Hope.
November 12, 2025: The Houthi militia declares a full halt to strikes on Red Sea merchant vessels, officially concluding the Red Sea crisis.
Industry reports confirm CMA CGM of France has taken the lead in resuming Red Sea transits. Its 17,859 TEU ultra-large container vessel CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin (IMO: 9706891) departed Southampton, UK on October 25, operating the return leg of Ocean Alliance’s NEU4 Asia-Europe service. The vessel sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean and successfully transited the Suez Canal around November 2, becoming the first 18,000 TEU-class container ship to navigate the Red Sea in two years.
Core Main Content Summary
Core Announcement: Houthi’s new chief of staff issued an official letter to suspend all strikes on Red Sea merchant ships and lift missile blockades against Israel, ending the two-year Red Sea shipping crisis.
Background of Policy Shift: Heavy losses of senior Houthi leaders and weapons facilities from U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, plus risks of diplomatic isolation amid regional reconciliation, coupled with Oman’s mediation, drove the ceasefire decision.
Historical Crisis Context: The conflict originated from the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. The Houthi hijacked and attacked Western/Israel-linked vessels for two years, prompting U.S.-UK joint escort operations and widespread carrier rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope.
Market Impacts: The Suez Canal will recover shipping volumes and revenue, while carriers with Cape of Good Hope diversion business will face revenue losses.
Lingering Risks: The Houthi remains aligned with Hamas; maritime attacks may restart if Gaza peace talks collapse.
Practical Shipping Signal: CMA CGM’s ultra-large container vessel successfully passed through the Suez Canal, marking the resumption of large-capacity container liner transit across the Red Sea.
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