Skip to main content

Eilat Port sees 85% drop in activity amid Red Sea Houthi attacks

1 min Mena Today

Israel's Eilat Port has seen an 85% drop in activity since the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the port's chief executive said on Thursday. 

Sunrise in marine port of Eilat, Red Sea © Mena Today 

Sunrise in marine port of Eilat, Red Sea © Mena Today 

Israel's Eilat Port has seen an 85% drop in activity since the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the port's chief executive said on Thursday. 

The Houthis are playing an escalating role in the conflict in the Middle East, also firing drones and missiles at Israel in a campaign they say aims to support Palestinians in the Gaza war, where Hamas is also backed by Iran. 

Eilat, which primarily handles car imports and potash exports coming from the Dead Sea, pales in size compared to Israel's Mediterranean ports in Haifa and Ashdod which handle most of the country's trade. 

It was one of the first ports to be affected as shipping firms rerouted vessels to avoid the Red Sea after the Houthis disrupted a key trade route through the Bab al-Mandab strait. 

Without Bab al-Mandab "you close the main shipping artery to Eilat Port. And therefore we lost 85% of total activity", CEO Gideon Golber told Reuters. 

The United States has since announced a multi-national security initiative to protect the crucial shipping lane.

Related

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.