Royal Navy agency UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has reported that another cargo vessel has been hit by a missile in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.
British maritime security firm Ambrey warned on Tuesday that a Malta flagged Greek owned bulk carrier was targeted and hit by a missile, suspected to have been launched by the Iranian backed Houthis militants.
Ambrey said, “A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier was reportedly targeted and impacted with a missile while transiting the southern Red Sea northbound.”
The UKTMO said they had received a report of an “incident” around 100 nautical miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef.
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The UKTMO wrote on X, “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”
On Monday the Houthis militants fired a missile at a US owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden and on Sunday a US fighter jet shot down a cruise missile heading towards a US destroyer.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an update of the attack on Monday, “On January 15 at approximately 4pm (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned and operated container ship.
“The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey.”
On Monday the British Prime Minister has sent a warning shot to the Iranian backed Houthis militants based in Yemen that the UK will “not hesitate” to protect our “security” as and when required.
Sunak has said that military action that was conducted by the RAF and the Royal Navy including a submarine war the “last resort” in a failed attempt to “restore stability” in the Middle East.
Sunak was asked if the UK-US response amounted to a ramping-up of conflict across the Middle East, he said the allies’ aim was to “de-escalate tensions in the region.”
“We faced an escalating series of attacks from the Houthis on commercial shipping, including an attack on a Royal Navy warship. That was unacceptable,” Sunak told broadcasters.
“It is right that we took proportionate, targeted action against military targets to send a strong message that that behaviour is unacceptable.
“It was a last resort. It came after the end of exhaustive diplomatic activity including a UN Security Council.
“Now, I think it is incumbent on the Houthis to recognise the international condemnation for what they are doing and desist.
“But we, of course, will not hesitate to protect our security where required.”
The Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK will now “wait and see” before making the decision to take part in further airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen.
Shapps was asked on Sky News if the UK could take part in more strikes on Yemen, he said, “We will now watch and monitor the situation very carefully.
“As we’ve said – not just to the Houthis but to their Iranian masters, in a sense, because they are really proxies for Tehran – this cannot go on.
“Freedom of navigation is just a given and always has been for many years.
“We cannot have that situation where they are trying to harass it, and we will keep a very close eye.
“If we have to take further action, that is something that we will consider.”
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