Shipping giant Moller-Maersk on Monday halted transit through the Red Sea after an attack on one of its vessels by Iran-backed Houthi rebels heralded a sharp escalation of violence in the vital waterway.

The world’s No. 2 container line said it would suspend all Red Sea transit for 48 hours to assess the security situation. The US Navy said it was fired upon when responding to a distress call from the Maersk Hangzhou, resulting in the sinking of three Houthi boats and the death of their crews.

AP