Germany Diverts Naval Ships from Red Sea Amid Rising Houthi Rebel Threats

Photo: German Navy

Two German naval ships are taking a longer, safer route around Africa rather than risk passage through the Red Sea, where Yemen’s Houthi rebels have recently escalated attacks on maritime traffic. Announced by Germany’s defence ministry on Wednesday, the decision underscores the heightened threat level in the region due to the rebels' use of ballistic missiles, drones, and other sophisticated weapons.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius directed the route change for the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg, and the supply ship Frankfurt am Main as they returned from their Indo-Pacific deployment. At a press briefing in Berlin, Colonel Mitko Mueller, the ministry’s spokesperson, confirmed that recent “complex attacks” in the area played a significant role in the decision.

“The threat level is quite high,” Mueller emphasized, noting that the vessels lack specialized air defense systems needed for self-protection against missile or drone attacks often deployed in the region.

The ships, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently visited in Goa, India, are en route to different missions. The Baden-Wuerttemberg will proceed to the Mediterranean to join UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, while Frankfurt am Main will return to Germany.

The instability in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has been fueled by the ongoing Gaza conflict, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels—aligned with Iran—launching attacks in reported solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. These developments have prompted most shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea route, bypassing the Suez Canal and instead navigating the more expensive journey around the African continent.

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Germany’s precautionary choice highlights the persistent volatility in key maritime routes, emphasizing the broader implications of regional conflicts on global shipping and naval operations.