Ship attacked off Yemen coast as Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping persist

A ship traveling off Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden came under attack early Tuesday, officials said, though no one was hurt. It was not clear who launched the attack. The captain of the vessel heard a splash and an explosion in the vicinity of the vessel, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said in a statement. “Vessel and crew reported safe and proceeding to next port of call,” the center said.

The attack happened about 225 kilometers (140 miles) off the coast of Aden, which is held by forces loyal to Yemen's exiled government. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched a series of attacks targeting shipping through the Red Sea corridor, but did not immediately claim the attack. It typically takes them hours or even days to claim an assault.

The Houthis have, in the past two years, launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Their attacks over the past two years have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods pass each year before the war. The Houthis stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. They later became the target of an intense weekslong campaign of airstrikes, and the rebels sank two vessels in July, killing at least four on board, with others believed held by the rebels.

The attack on Tuesday came as Israel has intensified its war against Gaza, targeting Gaza City with a new ground offensive. Meanwhile, tensions remain high as United Nations sanctions are due to be reimposed on Iran over Tehran’s battered nuclear program. Reports described broader regional actions, including Israel’s intensified posture toward Iran and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.

Maritime security officials cautioned that the Red Sea corridor remains a high-risk theater for shipping, with risk to vessels and crews continuing amid ongoing regional hostilities.