Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received reports of an incident in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, without giving more details.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas war raging over 1,000 miles (1,620 km) away, attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles towards Israel in support of Gaza’s Palestinian militants.

Operating from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Houthi forces have been targeting vessels allegedly owned by Israeli businessmen or companies, or ships headed to ports in Israel, and obstructing their passage through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.

Ambrey said a Marshall islands-flagged chemical tanker reported an “exchange of fire” with a speedboat 55 nautical miles (around 102 kilometres) off Hodeidah, adding that the boat approached the tanker and initiated the gunfire at a distance of 300 metres (1,000 feet).

It said the tanker was hailed by an entity claiming to be the Yemeni Navy that asked the vessel to alter course but a “coalition” warship advised the ship to maintain it.

Ambrey did not clarify which coalition it was referring to. Coalition Task Force (CTF) Sentinel, the operational arm of the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), is known to operate in the region. IMSC was formed in July 2019 in response to an increase in threats to navigation and the flow of trade.

Shortly after the tanker incident, Ambrey said, the speedboat approached a Malta-flagged bulk carrier 52 nautical miles off Hodeidah’s shores, adding that it would provide updates as relevant.

Separately, UKMTO reported an incident in the Arabian Sea about 90 nautical miles off the Omani coastal town of Duqm. It did not give further details but advised ships to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

On Tuesday, the Houthis said they had carried out a military operation against a Norwegian commercial tanker in the Red Sea, with their spokesman vowing to continue blocking ships heading to Israeli ports until Israel allows the entry of food and medical aid into Gaza.

What Are The Recent Houthu Attacks?

* Dec. 12: Houthi spokesman says group targeted Norwegian commercial tanker STRINDA. The attack took place about 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait at about 2100 GMT, a U.S. official told Reuters.

* Dec. 9: Houthis warn they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

* Dec. 3: U.S. military says three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea, as Houthis claimed drone and missile attacks on two Israeli vessels in the area.

* Nov. 19: Israel says Houthis seized a British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

What Is Bab Al- Mandab?

* Bab al-Mandab, or the Gate of Tears, named for its perilous navigation, is the outlet of the Red Sea, between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast.

* It is one of the world’s most important routes for global seaborne commodity shipments, particularly crude oil and fuel from the Gulf bound for the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or SUMED pipeline, as well as commodities bound for Asia, including Russian oil.

* Bab al-Mandab was the site of a naval blockade of Israel by Egypt in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

* Bab al-Mandab is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, making tanker traffic difficult and limited to two channels for inbound and outbound shipments, divided by the island of Perim.

* Around 7.80 million barrels per day of crude and fuel shipments transited the strait in the first 11 months of 2023, up from 6.60 million bpd throughout 2022, according to oil analytics firm Vortexa. On average, Vortexa tracked 27 tankers carrying crude or fuel each day in 2023, up from 20 last year.

* According to the Energy Information Administration, 12% of total seaborne-traded oil in the first half of 2023 as well as 8% of LNG trade passed through Bab al-Mandab, the SUMED pipeline and the Suez Canal.

Sources: Reuters, Energy Information Administration, Vortexa