Cargo vessel in Red Sea reports attack, UK maritime body says
A smartphone screen shows a MarineTraffic map showing the density of ship lights in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in Créteil, France, on March 30, 2026, with the strait map visible in the background. (Photo: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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It was reported that a cargo ship was attacked in the Red Sea UK Merchant Marine Operations CenterThe British maritime security alert service said on Sunday that this happened amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The organization said it received a report of the incident 30 nautical miles (56 km) southwest of the port city of Al Hudaydah in Yemen.
“A cargo ship triggered a distress alert indicating it had been attacked by unknown attackers,” UKMTO said. to mail He added that the authorities were investigating the incident regarding X.
Ships were called to “pass with caution”.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked merchant shipping in the Red Sea from 2023 to 2025 in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza, but they have largely stayed out of the US-Iran war.
While the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman is one of the world’s most important transit points for energy shipments from the Middle East, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Sea of Oman, is another important transit route.
After the United States and Israel began attacking Iran in February, it served as a crucial relief valve for the oil market as exports through the Strait of Hormuz dropped due to Iranian attacks on tankers and cargo ships.
Saudi Arabia increased the flow of oil through the East-West Pipeline after the closure of Hormuz, and millions of barrels per day were diverted to the Red Sea. These barrels pass from Bab al-Mandab to Asia, helping to offset some of the loss of supply in key economies such as Japan and South Korea.
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end the nearly four-month war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, beginning 60 days of negotiations to work on a permanent peace agreement.
Since then, oil shipments have increased. According to data from commercial intelligence firm Kpler, Saudi Arabia has shipped approximately 34 million barrels of oil via Hormuz since June 17. Riyadh’s exports in the two weeks to July 2 were more than double the 15 million barrels the kingdom shipped through the strait from March 9 to June 17.
Benchmark Brent crude oil prices have fallen 39% from their March highs.
