Switzerland-based global shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said one of its container ships was attacked while crossing the Red Sea on Tuesday afternoon. This is the latest sign of an escalating crisis in the Red Sea.

MSC said in a statement that the incident occurred at approximately 12:25 UTC when its MSC United VIII container ship was sailing from King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia to Karachi, Pakistan.
MSC also said that all crew members are safe, no casualties were reported, and a comprehensive assessment of the ship is under way. “Our priority remains protecting the lives and safety of seafarers and MSC will continue to divert vessels scheduled to transit the Suez Canal to the Cape of Good Hope until their safety can be ensured.”
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Tuesday and vowed to continue attacking Israeli ships and ships heading to Israel.
Since the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Houthis have continuously attacked ships "related to Israel" in the Red Sea on the grounds of "supporting Palestine."
This has forced global shipping giants to avoid the Red Sea and go around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing shipping costs and causing delays.
Although A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world's second-largest container shipping company, has said it is preparing to resume Red Sea shipping as a U.S.-led multinational convoy to protect shipping from Houthi attacks is being deployed. Many other shippers continue to avoid the route for safety reasons.
Later on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command confirmed that the U.S. military shot down several drones and missiles in the southern Red Sea that day. The ministry said the Houthis began firing missiles at 6:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday and continued for 10 hours. The attacks resulted in no damage to the vessel and no injuries.
Conflict may expand
After the United States announced the launch of an international naval operation last Tuesday, the Houthis vowed to continue to obstruct the navigation of "Israeli ships" in the Red Sea until Israel ceases military operations in the Gaza Strip. If the United States chooses to launch an attack on the Houthi armed base, it will retaliated against.
Israel's war against Hamas will last for months, Israel's military leader said on Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced late Monday that the U.S. military had launched precision strikes against three facilities in Iraq belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, an armed organization with ties to Iran.
Analysts say that the US strikes against targets in Iraq and the Houthi armed forces’ new attacks on Red Sea shipping are the latest warning signs that the Israel-Kazakhstan war may expand into a broader conflict and undermine stability in the Middle East.