By Maggie Johnson
January 12, 2025
Image Credit: “FSO Safer Replacement Vessel Arrives in Yemen,” available at Getty Images (01/12/2025).
An unusually large number of merchant vessels are congested near Yemen’s Ras Isa port in the Red Sea following Israeli airstrikes that damaged critical tugboats used to bring ships ashore. The attacks by the Israel Defense Forces in late December heavily damaged several tugs, rendering them inoperable for nearly three weeks. Port workers, with limited resources, have been slowly moving tankers into the harbor, causing significant delays, according to a terminal worker and a senior official in Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Both of the sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the situation.
Currently, at least 15 oil tankers, including some carrying Russian fuel, are waiting at or near the port, according to ship-tracking data from Vortexa and Bloomberg’s analysis. This bottleneck reflects the broader disruptions that have plagued global shipping for over a year, increasing both travel time and costs. Regional conflicts, including Israeli strikes on Yemeni targets and Houthi assaults on vessels, have repeatedly disrupted the Red Sea’s vital trade route.
The maritime security firm Ambrey has advised merchant ships to avoid Yemeni territorial waters due to ongoing airstrikes across Houthi-controlled regions, including Ras Isa port. No damage to merchant vessels has been reported so far, and the firm noted it in a risk alert.
In one of the IDF’s attacks last month on Ras Isa and Hodeidah ports, 30 vessels were reported in the vicinity—22 near Ras Isa and eight near Hodeidah—according to Ambrey. Despite the intensity of the strikes, no merchant ship sustained damage, the security company confirmed.
The backlog near Ras Isa highlights the compounded challenges facing maritime trade in the region. Persistent attacks and instability have forced many vessels to reroute, disrupting supply chains and adding further strain to global shipping operations.
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