A cargo ship came under armed attack on Sunday 5 July 2026 in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, according to Ukmto (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations). The vessel issued a distress alert reporting that it was "under attack by unidentified armed assailants". The UK authorities confirmed that the crew and vessel are currently safe, while an investigation is under way to identify those responsible.
The incident took place about 30 nautical miles south-west of the port city of Hodeidah (Al Hudaydah), which is controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait area. The report was released on Sunday through Ukmto’s official channels on X and was picked up in real time by the Xinhua and Anadolu news agencies. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, and the assailants have not been identified: a factor that sets this incident apart from previous Houthi attacks, which have generally been explicitly claimed. The context nevertheless remains that of the Red Sea maritime crisis, launched by the Houthis in November 2023 in solidarity with Gaza, which has already led to the sinking of several vessels and the deaths of several seafarers, including the four confirmed victims of the attacks on the Magic Seas and Eternity C in July 2025.
