Disruption to Red Sea container shipping is rising, Maersk said on Monday, forecasting this will cut the industry's capacity between Asia and Europe by up to 20% in the second quarter.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said her view is based, in part, on the Houthis' domestic production of weaponry and Iranian support.

The disruption to container shipping traffic in the Red Sea is worsening, and is expected to reduce the industry's capacity between the Far East and Europe by some 15%-20% in the second quarter, shipping group Maersk said on Monday.

A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S expects that the shipping industry this quarter will spend 15% to 20% of its Asia-to-Europe vessel capacity on sailing south of Africa to avoid the Red Sea.

Container vessels have been rerouted around the southern tip of Africa since to avoid attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea.

Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, impacting a shipping route vital to east-west trade. Some shipping companies have responded by instructing vessels to sail around southern Africa instead,

Due to the difficult security situation in the Red Sea, Danish shipping giant Maersk is expecting an industry-wide loss in freight capacity on routes from eastern Asia to Europe of 15% to 20% in the second quarter.