The US military carried out a new strike in Yemen on Tuesday against anti-ship ballistic missiles in a Houthi-controlled part of the country as a missile struck a Greek-owned vessel in the Red Sea.
Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods in Europe in particular, an executive from port and freight operator DP World said as the impact on commerce increased.
The Iran-allied Houthi militias have threatened to expand their attacks to include US ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.
Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the region since November have affected companies and alarmed major powers - an escalation of Israel's more than three-month-old war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza. The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strike on Tuesday was launched at four anti-ship missiles. The strike has not been previously reported.
Two heads of international banking groups attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos said privately that they were worried the crisis might cause inflationary pressures which could ultimately delay or reverse interest rate cuts and jeopardize hopes for a US economic soft landing.
DP World CFO Yuvraj Narayan said he expected disruptions to hit European imports.
"The cost of goods into Europe from Asia will be significantly higher," Narayan told Reuters at the annual WEF meeting in Davos, the Swiss ski resort.
"European consumers will feel the pain ... It will hit developed economies more than it will hit developing economies," the Dubai-based logistics company's finance chief added.
War risk insurance premiums for shipments through the Red Sea are rising, insurance sources said on Tuesday.
In Spain, four factories owned by French tire maker Michelin are planning to halt output again this weekend, a further sign of the impact of delays in the delivery of raw materials.
Ship hit
A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier was struck by a missile while northbound in the Red Sea 76 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef, a security firm and two Greek shipping ministry sources said.
The Houthis carried out the attack on the ship, the Zografia, using naval missiles, resulting in a "direct hit", the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said.
The Zografia was sailing from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board and was empty of cargo when attacked, one of the Greek sources said. "There were no injuries, only material damage," the source added. It was still sailing but would probably reroute for safety checks.
Underlining concerns, Japanese shipping operator Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK Line, instructed its vessels navigating near the Red Sea to wait in safe waters and is considering route changes, a company spokesperson said.
Shipping giant Maersk, however, sent two container ships through the Red Sea carrying goods for the US military and government.
Gaza ceasefire call
Container vessels have been pausing or diverting from the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest freight route from Asia to Europe. Many ships have been forced to circumnavigate South Africa's Cape of Good Hope instead.
About 12% of world shipping traffic accesses the Suez Canal via the Red Sea.
British oil major Shell has suspended all shipments through the Red Sea indefinitely after the US and UK strikes triggered fears of further escalation, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Shell declined to comment.
Russian tanker group Sovcomflot is also considering alternative routes in case the crisis escalates, TASS news agency reported. Sovcomflot did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
European diplomats said member states of the European Union had given initial backing to creation of a naval mission by Feb. 19 at the latest to help protect ships.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister underline the link between Houthi attacks on commercial ships to the war in Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said the Kingdom's priority is finding a path to de-escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.
