WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Denmark’s Maersk is getting ready to renew transport operations within the Purple Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the corporate mentioned on Sunday, citing the deployment of a U.S.-led army operation designed to make sure the security of commerce within the space.

The transport big paused sending vessels by means of the Bab el-Mandeb strait earlier in December on account of assaults in opposition to its ships. That rendered the Suez Canal, which is vital to world commerce, unusable for many routes.

The US mentioned on Tuesday it was launching a multinational operation to guard commerce within the Purple Sea from Iran-backed Yemeni militants, who’ve been firing drones and missiles at worldwide vessels since final month in what they are saying is a response to Israel’s battle in Gaza.

“As of Sunday 24 December 2023, we’ve got acquired affirmation that the beforehand introduced multi-national safety initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) has now been arrange and deployed to permit maritime commerce to go by means of the Purple Sea / Gulf of Aden and as soon as once more return to utilizing the Suez Canal as a gateway between Asia and Europe,” Masersk mentioned in an announcement on Sunday.

“With the OPG initiative in operation, we’re getting ready to permit for vessels to renew transit by means of the Purple Sea each eastbound and westbound.”

Maersk mentioned it will launch extra particulars in coming days. But it surely mentioned it may once more resort to diverting ship visitors relying on how security circumstances developed.

On Tuesday, Maersk mentioned it was rerouting ships round Africa through the Cape of Good Hope. It mentioned it will impose container surcharges for shipments from Asia to cowl the additional prices related to the longer journey.

A number of different companies have stopped transiting the Purple Sea on security considerations in latest weeks, as has oil main BP (NYSE:).