Yemen Financial News

ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) -The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, has sunk in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Saturday, warning of a «environmental catastrophe» from the ship's cargo of fertilizer.

CMA CGM expects disruptions to commercial shipping to last months, Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saade said. Shipping firms are diverting vessels on to the longer, more costly route around southern Africa after Houthi militants in Yemen began drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden last November. «This will probably last for some months,» Saade said.

Red Sea operations, the Iran-aligned group's leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday. Houthi militants have repeatedly fired on international commercial ships since mid-November in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

South Sudan’s government is blaming the country’s economic crisis in part on fighting in neighboring Sudan and the instability in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebels have been attacking international shipping

NEW DELHI : New Delhi: The crisis in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest trade corridors, hit global merchandise trade volumes in 2023, according to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general, World Trade Organization (WTO). These disruptions, coupled with a global economic slowdown, likely led to a less than 0.8% increase in global merchandise trade volumes in 2023, falling short of the WTO's April projection, Okonjo-Iweala said while speaking at the business forum on the third day of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.

Oil prices slipped in early Asian trade on Wednesday as the prospect of a delayed U.S. rate cutting cycle offset the boost provided by talk of extensions to production cuts from OPEC+. Brent crude futures fell 38 cents, or 0.45%, to $83.27 a barrel by 0110 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were down 35 cents, or 0.44%, to $78.52 a barrel.

Brent crude declined about two per cent and WTI fell more than three per cent after a US central bank policymaker indicated interest rate cuts could be delayed by at least two more months. Back home, on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil futures due for a March 19 expiry, was last trading 0.59 per cent higher at ₹6,504 per bbl, having swung between ₹6,408 and ₹6,511 per bbl during the session, against a previous close of ₹6,466 per barrel.

Greece has formally agreed to participate in and lead a European Union maritime security operation in the Red Sea, to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen

By David Milliken

The U.S. and Britain have struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

Yemen on Saturday, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike this past week that set fire to a cargo vessel. According to U.S. officials, American and British fighter jets hit about 18 sites across multiple locations, targeting missiles, launchers, rockets, drones and unmanned surface and underwater vehicles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to provide early details of an ongoing military operation. This is the fourth time that the U.S. and British militaries have conducted a combined operation against the Houthis since Jan. 12. But the U.S. has also been carrying out almost daily strikes to take out Houthi targets, including incoming missiles and drones aimed at ships, as well as weapons that were prepared to launch.

US forces and the United Kingdom Armed Forces, with the support of several other countries, conducted strikes against 18 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen, according to the US Central Command. The joint strikes, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, were conducted on Saturday at 11:50 pm. CENTCOM shared on X, stating, «On Feb. 24, at approximately 11:50 p.m. (Sanaa Yemen time), U.S. Central Command forces alongside UK Armed Forces, and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted strikes against 18 Houthi targets in Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen.»

Houthi sites in Yemen on Saturday, according to officials. As reported by Reuters, this marks the latest in a series of military operations against the Iran-backed group, which has been implicated in ongoing attacks on shipping in the region.

was attacked on Feb. 18 while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command said.

Also Read: OPEC+ to support Brent at $80/bbl; ONGC/Oil India placed well on dividend pay, valuations Back home, on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil futures due for a March 19 expiry, last settled 0.05 per cent higher at ₹6,356 per bbl, having swung between ₹6,344 and ₹6,498 per bbl during the session, against a previous close of ₹6,353 per barrel. -The Federal Reserve has held its policy rate steady in a 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent range since last July. Minutes of its meeting last month show most central bankers were worried about moving too quickly to ease policy.

Gold prices on Friday were set for their first weekly gain in two, supported by a softer dollar and safe-haven buying, as investors awaited further clues on when the U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to begin cutting its interest rates. FUNDAMENTALS

Oil prices fell on Friday after a U.S. Fed official said interest rate cuts should be delayed at least two more months. Brent crude futures were down 25 cents, or 0.3%, at $83.42 a barrel at 0212 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were 25 cents, or 0.3%, lower at $78.36.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched attacks on both Israel and a ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden

Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, in reprisal for Israeli bombing of Gaza, continue unabated and the disruption they are causing is beginning to pinch. As the crisis enters its fourth month, Mint looks at the impact on India and the sectors that have been hit. There are no signs at all of any improvement.

Red Sea crisis has led to a sustained disruption in trade routes. This delays timely delivery of goods due to attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on cargo ships plying waters connecting Asia with Europe and the United States (US). As a result, traffic is being forced away from the Suez Canal and redirected around the tip of Africa, the market intelligence and analytics arm of CRISIL said in a research note. These developments hold the potential to significantly impact players within the capital goods and fertiliser sectors. Commenting on the Capital goods sector, CRISIL said, “The ripple effect of such disruptions extends to various facets of the industry, potentially leading to an undesirable inventory build-up. This accumulation can, in turn, exert pressure on the operational efficiency of engineering, procurement and construction companies.”