Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesperson, prepares to deliver a statement, during a pro-Palestinian rally saying they launched an attack on the "Pacific 01" ship in the Red Sea with missiles, in Sanaa, Yemen, March 15, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A cargo ship has been declared a constructive total loss after being struck by multiple unknown projectiles off Yemen, marking another attack in an increasingly volatile southern Red Sea.
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Tuesday that local authorities reported the incident about 40 nautical miles southeast of Al Mukha, Yemen.
The cargo vessel was unmanned at the time of the attack, according to UKMTO Warning 117-26. The agency said the resulting damage had left the ship a “complete constructive loss.”
No vessel name or details about the circumstances leading to the ship being left unmanned were immediately provided. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The attack comes amid a sharp deterioration in maritime security in the southern Red Sea, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and nearby Port of Al-Mokha.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) said in its latest regional assessment that Al-Mokha Port remains completely closed to commercial traffic following more than 25 cumulative missile impacts and fires at its berths. Commercial shipping through the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb also remains below normal levels.
JMIC continues to assess the threat level in the Bab el-Mandeb and southern Red Sea as SUBSTANTIAL, saying additional attacks remain a strong possibility amid continued Houthi messaging and military activity.
The latest incident follows a deadly attack near Al Mukha on August 11, when another cargo vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while stationary about five nautical miles off the Yemeni coast. That strike caused a fire and resulted in multiple crew fatalities and injuries, according to JMIC.
The worsening security situation in the Red Sea comes as commercial shipping is also facing simultaneous attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
JMIC said Tuesday that the frequency of attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait has increased, including projectile strikes against both inbound and outbound vessels. It continues to rate the threat in Hormuz as SEVERE, meaning deliberate hostile action is considered highly likely.
In one of the latest attacks, a general cargo ship transiting southbound through the Strait of Hormuz was struck in its engine room by an unknown projectile, killing a crew member. The Omani Coast Guard responded to assist the vessel.
UKMTO has advised vessels operating near Al Mukha to transit with caution and report suspicious activity.
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The oil market is increasingly behaving as though disruptions to Middle East energy supplies are not a temporary shock but a new reality.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and Iran were neither taking place nor scheduled but the Strait of Hormuz was open, while Iran said the shipping route would remain closed until the U.S. fulfilled the terms of an interim deal
Saudi Arabia is offering to sell oil from off the coast of Oman, a sign that the kingdom may be following the United Arab Emirates in shuttling more barrels through the Strait of Hormuz.
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