Armed Attack Sets Ship Ablaze in Red Sea Amid Rising Regional Tensions

A ship transiting the Red Sea came under a major armed assault on Sunday, reportedly set ablaze following an attack by armed men in skiffs and potentially explosive-laden drone boats, amid heightened tensions across the Middle East following the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Iran-Israel war, and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

The vessel, which remains unidentified, was initially fired upon with guns and rocket-propelled grenades by attackers in eight skiffs approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Hodeida, Yemen — a region controlled by the Houthi rebels. Armed guards aboard the vessel returned fire during the ongoing incident, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center. The center later confirmed the ship was on fire, struck by “unknown projectiles.”

Private maritime security firm Ambrey issued alerts stating the vessel faced an extensive attack, including strikes by bomb-carrying drone boats — marking a potential escalation in tactics. Ambrey reported that two drone boats struck the ship while two others were destroyed by the vessel's security team.

Though there was no immediate claim of responsibility, suspicion fell heavily on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have previously targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite channel acknowledged the incident occurred but did not provide further comment. Ambrey noted that the ship matched the "established Houthi target profile," without elaborating.

The U.S. military’s Central Command confirmed awareness of the incident but offered no additional information. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, based in the region, referred inquiries to Central Command.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on merchant ships using missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors. The ongoing threats have significantly disrupted trade along the Red Sea corridor, which sees about \$1 trillion in goods pass annually.

The Houthis had paused maritime attacks under a self-declared ceasefire until U.S. forces launched a wide-scale operation against them in mid-March. Although those operations ended weeks later, the Houthis have since resumed occasional long-range missile launches, including one on Sunday aimed at Israel, which the Israeli military reported intercepting.

Other groups operating in the Red Sea, such as Somalia-based pirates and the Yemeni Coast Guard loyal to the exiled government, have not been known to use drone boats. However, the region remains volatile amid a prolonged civil war in Yemen between the Houthi rebels and forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the attack as the situation in the Red Sea remains highly unstable.