BIMCO — one of the largest of the international shipping associations representing shipowners — has stepped up its calls for an "immediate end" to attacks on international shipping vessels at the Red Sea.

It noted that the series of "unprovoked attacks" on merchant ships in the Southern Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea is widely believed to originate from the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, and the number of attacks has steadily increased, threatening commercial shipping.

"BIMCO believes nation-states must collaborate to remove the current threat to international shipping and, if necessary, neutralise the threat by military means within the boundaries of international law," it said.

Around 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, representing 30% of all global container traffic and over US$1 trillion worth of goods per year. 

It added that since November 19, 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has increased the number of attacks on ships with no signs of abating.

"BIMCO strongly calls for joint efforts by nations to protect international shipping. Seafarers should not be risking their lives while doing their job and keeping the world supplied," said David Loosley, secretary general & CEO of BIMCO.

"These unlawful attacks represent a gross violation of the freedom of navigation as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and undermines the rules-based international order on which international shipping is so dependant," Loosley added.