Shipping companies expressed caution about using the shorter route between Asia and Europe that many ships have avoided for more than a year.

The Yemeni rebel group says it will stop targeting vessels that transit the Red Sea.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has released the crew of a cargo ship more than a year after its fighters hijacked the vessel in the Red Sea, as part of its campaign of attacks in support of Hamas in its war against Israel.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have signaled they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip takes hold.

Mandeb strait decreased by 50% after the Yemeni rebels launched maritime attacks, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Yemen-based Houthis signaled a pause in their months-long attacks on commercial ships following a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Maritime security officials said on Thursday they were expecting Yemen's Houthi militia to announce a halt in attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after a ceasefire deal in the war in Gaza between Israel and the militant group Hamas.

Following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Yemen's Houthi rebels have also declared a truce in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who receive support from Iran, have announced an end to their attacks in this strategically significant trade route.