A cargo vessel traversing the Red Sea encountered minor damage when struck by a projectile near Yemen’s Hodeidah, as confirmed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency and British maritime security firm Ambrey on Tuesday.
According to reports, the ship, situated 57 nautical miles west of Hodeidah, was targeted on its port side by a projectile while a small craft was observed nearby. The UKMTO received notification shortly after midnight GMT on Tuesday, noting that the projectile passed over the deck and caused slight damage to the bridge windows.
Ambrey identified the vessel as a Barbados-flagged general cargo ship owned by a British company, which sustained physical damage from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while traveling southeast through the Red Sea. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and the ship successfully executed evasive maneuvers to continue its journey.
Since mid-November, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group has been launching drones and missiles at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. As of now, there has been no immediate comment from Houthi-run media regarding the latest projectile incident.
The Morning Tide, a ship matching the description of the cargo vessel involved, is reportedly sailing without issues, according to its owner, British firm Furadino Shipping. However, no further details were provided.
Data from LSEG ship-tracking indicates that the Morning Tide passed through the Suez Canal on Friday and is currently navigating southward through the Red Sea, exiting via the Bab al-Mandab Strait. These attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, prompting companies to opt for longer and costlier routes around southern Africa.
Additionally, there are concerns that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could escalate, potentially destabilizing the broader Middle East region.
In response to months of attacks on Red Sea shipping, the United States and Britain initiated strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen a month ago. On Monday afternoon Yemen time, the U.S. military conducted a defensive strike against two Houthi explosive uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) deemed an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the area.