John Whelan: Escalating Red Sea chaos set to hit consumers

It’s the smaller companies who will be hit most and many may not survive if the Red Sea route remains closed for any length of time.

One of four RAF Typhoon aircraft returning to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after joining the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against military targets in Yemen.

The escalation of US and UK military strikes against the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in the past week will most likely have the effect of escalating this important global shipping route to war zone status, scuppering any diplomatic channels to prevent closure of one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

Over the past few weeks, the Houthi drone and missile attacks on shipping vessels have pushed many shipping lines to use a safer route. Last week’s missile attacks by UK and US troops directly at Yemeni stronghold targets, which immediately provoked the promised retaliation by the Houthi rebels, will have convinced any remaining ship owners that the route is too dangerous for commercial vessels to sail through.