Houthi attacks now drive shipping's great detour

Iran-backed militants have vowed to attack any merchant vessel with a connection to Israel

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Dozens of container ships bringing manufactured goods from Asia to Europe are setting off on arduous detours around Africasnarling trade and delaying cargo deliveries after a wave of attacks by Houthi militants on the merchant fleet in the Red Sea.

A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, which owns a fleet of more than 300 container ships and controls many more, said Tuesday that it will divert its fleet around Africa. Iran-backed Houthi militants have vowed to attack any merchant vessel with a connection to Israel, in a move to support the Palestinians, but as violence escalates all ships are seen as potentially vulnerable.

Just hours before Maersk's announcement, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a task force to protect commercial vessels traveling through the area. The shipping giant's decision shows it's not banking on that bringing an immediate halt to attacks. The details are still being worked out, and it's not clear when it will start work.