Overview
- A cargo vessel reported being attacked roughly 30 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah on Sunday, triggering a distress alert to the UK Maritime Trade Operations.
- The ship’s private security team returned fire after a small skiff opened fire, and the attackers withdrew to a larger vessel about 2 nautical miles away that had its automatic identification system switched off.
- Authorities and the British military agency say the crew and vessel were reported safe and that investigations are under way, and no group has claimed responsibility.
- The incident followed intense ground clashes south of Hodeidah that left 16 pro-government fighters dead, a sign of renewed violence in territory controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces.
- The attack underscores persistent threats to the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint where repeated Houthi-linked tactics and AIS deactivation raise the odds of costly rerouting, higher freight times, and rising insurance costs for Asia–Europe trade.