As previously reported by Weiyun Network, the Houthi rebels have formally announced a suspension of military operations in the Red Sea. The fighting has paused! The Houthis stated they would resume attacks if the Gaza ceasefire collapses! However, while confirming the temporary truce, Houthi Chief of Staff Madani added that should the Gaza conflict persist, the Houthis would consider resuming operations to reimpose blockade pressure on Israeli maritime shipping lanes.

The Houthis had previously

honored a ceasefire commitment

in early 2025

but resumed maritime attacks

when fighting reignited in Gaza.

Multiple international analysts have stated this truce does not signal an imminent return of shipping companies to Red Sea routes. Maritime traffic in the region will not improve immediately, with numerous uncertainties persisting.

Additionally, Clarksons Research's latest estimates indicate that due to vessels continuing to round the Cape of Good Hope, demand for maritime freight turnover across all vessel types has increased to varying degrees.

Container ships saw the highest increase at 10.7%, followed by car carriers (up 6.8%), LNG carriers (up 5.4%), chemical tankers (up 1.8%), dry bulk carriers (up 1.1%), and crude oil tankers (up 0.8%). The increase for product tankers was less than 0.5%.

Should vessels return en masse to Red Sea routes, container ship workloads would plummet, potentially triggering a freight rate collapse due to “overcapacity.” Unless shipping companies adopt aggressive measures—such as idling vessels, scrapping old ships, slow-steaming, or implementing widespread service suspensions—the situation will be difficult to reverse.

Xeneta Chief Analyst Peter Sand noted that since early 2025, average freight rates on three routes originally transiting the Red Sea—Far East to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the U.S. East Coast—have fallen by over 50%.

He warned: “Shipping companies are gradually entering a loss-making state. Even if the Red Sea situation does not worsen further, global freight rates are projected to decline by up to 25% in 2026.”

A large-scale resumption of the Suez-to-Red Sea route is unlikely in the near term. Therefore, shipping companies must exercise caution in their route selections until the Red Sea route is confirmed to be safe and reliable for the foreseeable future—not just the coming weeks.

（Source: Weiyun Network）