Opposing Saudi and Iranian warships on either side of the Yemeni civil war are keeping cargo ships at sea as Saudi naval force conduct arms searches on vessels before allowing them to dock.
Earlier, Iran's naval forces were said to be off the coast of Yemen chasing pirates. Iran's Tasnim news agency said four pirate boats with 32 armed men were about to board an Iranian tanker crossing the Bab-el-Mandeb strait before thwarted by Iran's naval forces.
The presence of Iranian naval forces off the coast of Yemen is significant. Britain has pledged to back the Saudi attacks on rebel positions in Yemen as fears grow of a proxy war between Sunni and Shia factions of Islam with Saudis leading Sunni forces and the Iran leading Shia forces.
According to reports by Iran's ISNA news agency, the country's naval "fleet" saved the tanker after the ship's crew barely repelled the attack.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore has "strongly advised" its ships to stay clear of the area.
"Owners and operators of Singapore-flagged ships should to carry out a review in consultation with contractual counterparties as well as Hull, War and P&I insurers and other relevant parties," said the ministry statement.
At least five ships carrying food were stuck off Yemen, Reuters reported. Yemen imports more than 90 per cent of its food, including most of its wheat and all its rice, to feed a population of 25 million.
Saudi Arabia and Arab allies have launched air strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have taken most of the country and forced Yemini President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
"It is more difficult now to find shipowners willing to provide vessels and you face your shipment being held up for an unknown amount of time by warships before even bringing it into Yemen," one international food trader said.
A cargo vessel, the Lycavitos, carrying 47,250 tonnes of wheat, waited outside Yemeni waters for nearly a week before Egypt's navy on Tuesday cleared it to sail to al-Saleef port, the ship owner's agent said.
"Even after clearance was given, as the vessel approached Yemeni waters it was approached by another coalition warship asking what it was doing in the area before the captain clarified it had clearance to enter," Helikon Shipping Enterprises Ltd said.
"We now expect another six to seven days berthing delay prior to discharge commencing at Saleef. Owners will be monitoring daily the Saleef port situation regarding safety and security and can invoke rights under the charter party to refuse entry to Saleef if the port becomes unsafe."
The 2,200-TEU Luxembourg-flagged Andre Rickmers, was initially unable to discharge at Hodaida for safety reasons, but then was stopped because coalition naval forces were not allowing entry to Yemeni ports.
The vessel drifted outside Yemeni waters for a few days before being ordered back to the port of Jeddah, said a spokeswoman for owner Rickmers Group, which has "head offices" in Hamburg and Singapore.
WORLD SHIPPING
18 April 2015 - 07:19
Saudi, Iranian warships off Yemen as food ships suffer weapon searches
Opposing Saudi and Iranian warships on either side of the Yemeni civil war are keeping cargo ships at sea as Saudi naval force conduct arms searches on vessels before allowing them to dock.
WORLD SHIPPING
18 April 2015 - 07:19
Saudi, Iranian warships off Yemen as food ships suffer weapon searches
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