British maritime authorities investigate report of cargo ship attack off Yemen’s Red Sea coast

A cargo ship reported coming under attack Sunday off Yemen’s coast in the Red Sea, prompting an investigation by British maritime authorities, according to a report citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The incident was described as part of the continuing pattern of assaults in the waters used by international shipping near the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.

The UKMTO said the distress report placed the vessel about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Hodeida, a coastal city that is under the control of Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, as described in the reporting. The UK military agency reported that the ship said it was “under attack by unknown armed assailants,” and that the incident occurred as a small craft approached the bulk carrier.

According to the account, a skiff approached the vessel and opened fire. The ship’s security guards returned fire, after which the vessel sailed back toward a larger ship that was about 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) away, with its automatic identification system switched off during the maneuver, the UKMTO said. The report said the cargo ship and its crew were later reported safe.

The British military agency said it was investigating the incident, while the ship’s distress details are still being reviewed. A Houthi spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment in the reporting that circulated from the British military statement and accompanying UKMTO information.

The Red Sea has remained volatile since the Israel-Hamas war began, as Houthi-linked forces have carried out attacks against vessels associated with Israel or tied to routes through the region, according to the broader context cited in the reporting. Those attacks have also led many shipping companies to reroute away from the Suez Canal, increasing transit time and costs by sending ships around the southern tip of Africa.

The Sunday incident comes after earlier episodes involving maritime threats in the broader area. The reporting referenced a suspected piracy attack on a vessel on July 1, when armed men approached a ship south of Balhaf in southeastern Yemen and caused minor damage to the bridge, according to the UKMTO.

With the latest incident, authorities will likely focus on reconstructing the vessel’s reported movement, the timing and location of the approach, and whether the report fits known attack patterns in the region. For shipping operators, the practical effect is immediate: crews typically reassess security posture, route planning, and communications protocols while maritime monitoring centers coordinate information sharing and follow-up checks.

No arrests or identifications were reported in the coverage, and the assailants were described as unknown at the time of the British authorities’ initial public statement. The next update, according to the reporting, would depend on ongoing investigation into the circumstances and the indicates transmitted by the vessel during and after the attack report.