The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors shipping security in the region, said the cargo vessel reported being fired upon and subsequently halted in the water.

No injuries or environmental damage were reported, and the ship sustained no apparent damage.The UKMTO did not identify who carried out the second attack. However, the incident followed an earlier episode in which Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was reported to have opened fire on a container ship, prompting immediate suspicion toward Tehran.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, days after U.S. forces seized an Iranian container vessel following an exchange of fire and boarded an oil tanker linked to Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global transit route for energy supplies, and any disruption to shipping there is closely monitored by governments and markets worldwide.

Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the reported attacks.

Saudi political analyst Faisal Ibrahim Al Shammari confirmed via social media that the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, has been placed on high alert, with dependents of service members already beginning to evacuate the country.

The precautionary steps follow undisclosed threats and a “rapid shift in the security posture” of U.S. military assets in the Gulf. According to Al Shammari, the State Department’s decision was driven by intelligence assessments indicating a heightened risk of Iranian-sponsored reprisals in the region—possibly in response to recent clandestine developments.

Iraq: U.S. Embassy Prepared for Emergency Exit

Sources indicate that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has been instructed to prepare for a potential emergency evacuation. Military personnel stationed in Iraq have reportedly been placed on elevated alert, with contingency plans being reviewed for an expedited drawdown if the security situation deteriorates.

The shift in posture signals growing unease in Washington over Iranian proxy activity and maritime threats amid an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

Regional Readiness Tightens

In a related development, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued an urgent security alert for vessels transiting the Persian Gulf, warning that “escalating tensions” may trigger “military activity targeting commercial shipping.”

American vessels operating in Gulf waters are being advised to exercise maximum caution, while security analysts warn that the current environment mirrors patterns seen ahead of prior naval confrontations.

The evacuation orders and high-alert statuses underscore mounting fears of a sudden clash in the region, particularly between the United States and Iran. Gulf nations—especially those hosting U.S. military assets—are closely watching the situation, as diplomatic and military backchannels work to prevent open confrontation.

As of now, there has been no official comment from the U.S. State Department regarding the troop movements or embassy evacuation plans.

The situation remains fluid.

Monitoring service TankerTrackers.com on X said it suspected the vessel was a “northbound cargo-laden oil tanker”.

Ships of both Yemen’s internationally recognised government and warring Houthi movement self-identify as Yemeni navy.

UKMTO earlier on Tuesday said it received a report of a fire on board a vessel in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait west of port Mokha in Yemen. The crew was reported safe, it said in a post on X.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a sea lane through which much of the world’s oil is shipped.

It was unclear whether the two incidents were related.

The Houthi movement on Saturday said it would target all ships heading north to Israel, regardless of nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

The Houthis have attacked and seized several Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait and fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel.

The Houthis are one of several groups in the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” which have been hitting Israeli and U.S. targets since Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israel, sparking Israeli retaliation against Hamas in Gaza.