Jordan forms committee to monitor impact of Red Sea developments on shipping

Amman, Dec 29: The Jordan Chamber of Commerce and the Transport Ministry has agreed to form a joint committee to monitor shipping safety in the Red Sea and other developments in the key waterway.
Members of the committee include those from the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Maritime Union, Logistics Union, and Clearance Companies Union, as well as the Freight Transport Union, the state-run Al Mamlaka TV reported on Thursday. The committee is formed to unify efforts and address technical issues to overcome any obstacles related to maritime shipping, it reported. Speaking at a meeting of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Minister of Transport Wesam Al Tahtamouni said that supply chains to the port of Aqaba remain intact, but the challenge lies in the rising costs, Xinhua news agency reported. The Jordanian government is considering a series of measures to mitigate the impact of increasing shipping and insurance costs on consumers, he noted.
Tahtamouni said the rising costs are due to the recent attacks on commercial ships in the Bab el Mandeb area, a strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, leading to route changes which result in longer journey and higher shipping prices as many shipping companies have to avoid the Red Sea.
Shot down anti-ship
missile fired by Houthi
in Red Sea: US
The US on Friday said that it has shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Huthi, media reports said. The reports said that the Huthis allegedly repeatedly targeted vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane with strikes – the U.S. – said to be in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas.
“The USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Huthis,” media reports quoting the US Central Command (CENTCOM) as having said. “There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries,” CENTCOM said, adding that it was the 22nd attempted attack on international shipping by the Huthis since mid-October.(IANS)