British ship attacked by Houthis near Yemen

Maritime authorities are investigating a reported attack on a UK-registered cargo ship near Yemen. The British military is reportedly investigating an apparent explosion near the ship.

Britain is investigating reports that a cargo ship was attacked off the coast of Yemen after an apparent explosion near the ship on Sunday.

According to The Guardian, after reports of damage to the vessel, the UK Maritime Trade Authority said: “Military authorities are investigating. UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations) received a report of an incident 35 nautical miles south of Al Moukha, Yemen. The captain reports an explosion in the immediate vicinity of the ship, causing damage. The captain reports that the entire crew is safe.

“Vessels are advised to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity to the UKMTO.”

Sky News, citing private security firm Ambrey, reported that the ship was registered in the UK and was “attacked” in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The vessel is believed to have been Belize-flagged, operated by Lebanon and registered in the UK.

Since January 11, the UK and US have been conducting joint airstrikes against Houthi rebels in an attempt to stop attacks on commercial ships, The Guardian recalls. The strikes were also supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who the West says are supplied, trained and advised by Iran, have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea since November in connection with Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

The militants have frequently attacked ships with weak or no clear ties to Israel, threatening shipping on a key trade route between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The United States has carried out five strikes in areas of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. According to his data, the US military carried out a strike with three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, an unmanned surface vessel and one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV).

“This is the first observed use of a drone by the Houthis since the attacks began on October 23,” CENTCOM said on X on Sunday.

CENTCOM says it has determined that the missiles and ships pose an immediate threat to U.S. Navy ships and commercial shipping in the area.

The strikes come amid rising tensions in the region, where Houthi militants have been attacking commercial and military vessels since November, Al Jazeera noted.

The Houthis initially said they would attack ships linked to Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, but later expanded their targets to include ships linked to Britain and the US.

London and Washington responded with repeated strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, characterizing Houthi attacks as indiscriminate and a threat to global trade.

On Saturday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a British oil tanker, which the US identified as a Panamanian-flagged vessel carrying crude oil bound for India, for its part, Al Jazeera reported.

Faced with growing danger on the Red Sea, major shipping lines have largely abandoned the crucial trade route in favor of longer routes around Africa. That has raised costs, fueled concerns about global inflation and deprived Egypt of crucial foreign revenue from shippers using the Suez Canal to ship cargo to or from the Red Sea.

“While we continue to hope for a sustainable resolution in the near future and are doing everything we can to facilitate this, we urge customers to prepare for ongoing complications in the region and significant disruption to the global network,” shipping giant Maersk said in January.