A cargo ship came under attack on Sunday in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, not far from the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeida, according to a statement from the British Military.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported that the vessel, which has been described as a bulk carrier, triggered a distress alert. According to the UKMTO, the ship reported being “under attack by unknown armed assailants” approximately 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Hodeida.
Further details from UKMTO reporting indicated that a skiff approached the bulk carrier and opened fire, at which point the ship’s security guards returned fire in response. The skiff then sailed back to a larger ship located about 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) away, which had its automatic identification system switched off.
No injuries were in connection with the incident. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, while a Houthi spokesman declined to provide a comment when asked by the Associated Press.
The incident represents one of the reported maritime security incidents in the Red Sea area in recent months. The Red Sea and the adjacent Bab al-Mandab Strait constitute a key international shipping route linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. A substantial volume of global maritime trade, including container ships and energy carriers, transits this corridor under normal conditions.
Tensions in the vital waterway have been heightened following the eruption of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran this past February. Yemen’s Houthi rebels — an Iran-backed militant group that controls large swaths of Yemeni territory — indicated intentions to impose restrictions on vessels linked to Israel transiting the Red Sea as recently as last month.
Earlier periods had seen a reduction in certain types of maritime incidents following agreements in late 2025. Prior to those developments, during the period associated with the Gaza conflict that began in 2023, Houthi forces had conducted attacks on commercial vessels using drones and missiles in the southern Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Those actions prompted some shipping companies to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa rather than through the Suez Canal.
Separately, suspected pirate activity has been reported in nearby waters. On July 1, UKMTO documented an incident involving a vessel approximately 76 nautical miles (140 kilometers) south of the port town of Balhaf in southeastern Yemen. Four armed men on a small craft approached the vessel and caused minor damage to the ship’s bridge.
The current incident remains under investigation by relevant authorities, with no further details on the identity of the assailants or the extent of any damage released in initial reports.
