The worries of escalation grew after US and UK strikes on scores of sites in rebel-held Yemen Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported, in retaliation over Houthi attacks in the Red Sea which have disrupted shipping.

The Houthis have been targeting what they deemed Israeli-linked vessels.

But after Friday’s strikes, they declared US and British interests “legitimate targets”.

On Sunday, US forces shot down a Houthi cruise missile targeting an American destroyer, and yesterday a US-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman was hit by another Houthi missile.

Shell decided to suspend transit last week, considering worries that a successful attack could cause a major spill and threaten the safety of ship crew, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

The company declined to comment on the matter when contacted by AFP.

The Journal also reported that in December, a tanker chartered by Shell was targeted by a drone in the Red Sea, and harassed by Houthi boats.

The oil major’s decision comes after Britain’s BP said in December that it would suspend transit of oil through the Red Sea.

At the start of the month, shipping giant Maersk also noted it would divert vessels around Africa instead of using the Red Sea and Suez Canal for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s prime minister said that liquefied natural gas shipments would be affected by tensions in the area, warning that strikes on Yemen risk worsening the crisis.

About 12% of global trade normally passes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea’s entrance between southwest Yemen and Djibouti.

But the rebel attacks have caused much shipping to be diverted thousands of kilometres around Africa.