French ship transits Red Sea under naval escort

French shipping and transport company CMA CGM said today that its Jules Verne container ship transited the Red Sea under French naval escort, after suspending crossings for security risks earlier this month, Reuters reports.

“In coordination with French naval forces, the CMA CGM Jules Verne transited the Red Sea without incident, escorted by the frigate Alsace,” CMA CGM said in a statement.

The decision to avoid the Bab Al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea was taken after Yemen’s Houthis targeted Israel-linked vessels in an effort to hinder the occupation state’s ongoing bombing of Gaza.

Other major shipping firms have also suspended voyages via the Red Sea, disrupting the main route for trade between Asia and Europe.

LSEG shipping data showed the CMA CGM Jules Verne near Djibouti in the southern part of the Red Sea yesterday having sailed south from the Suez Canal on 12 February.

Its transit of the Red Sea was reported earlier by French shipping newspaper Le Marin.

READ: Egypt says Suez Canal revenues down 40-50% amid Red Sea tension