EMEA News
UK Reports New Suspicious Approach in Red Sea
A new suspicious approach to a commercial ship has been reported in the Red Sea after a spate of attacks in the region, according to the British authorities.
The incident happened 44 nautical miles west of Al-Mukha in Yemen at 3:35 PM UTC on Monday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said in a social media post.
Three small craft approached the vessel before being deterred by warning shots from its security team.
"The embarked security team fired warning shots, the merchant vessel carried out self-protection measures and the small craft departed the area," the agency said.
"Vessel and crew are reported safe and proceeding to next port of call."
Commercial ships operating near Yemen have been coming under attack from the country's Houthi movement over the past two months in a response to the conflict in Gaza.
Several leading shipping companies are now avoiding the region altogether, taking longer routes around Africa rather than using the Suez Canal. This is likely to deliver a significant boost to bunker demand and freight markets while the current situation continues.
