A bulk carrier has been attacked in the Red Sea
There were reports that a bulk carrier had been shot at by attackers in the Red Sea, suggesting that the dangers of crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the Suez Canal remained.
The captain took evasive action and changed course towards the Yemeni coast, where the boat also turned. The report by the British Maritime Trade body said there was no direct impact and the crew was safe.
The number of ships navigating these dangerous waters rose sharply in March, bouncing back sharply from February's low. The number of vessels transiting the Suez Canal also increased last month.
However, the coming weeks are fraught with geopolitical uncertainty. Analysts noted that this month, U.S. warplanes bombed key targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The bombing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to persuade Iran, which supports the Houthis, to abandon its nuclear program or face military action. Trump has also said he wants to remove the Houthis' control over maritime trade in the Middle East and reopen the Suez Canal for commercial shipping.
The bombing of Yemeni targets led the Houthis to add U.S. ships to their "no-sail" list, signaling its intention to resume attacks against U.S.-linked vessels in Yemeni waters. After Israel blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, Israeli ships were also "banned" from passing through the area.
According to the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), 112 incidents have been recorded in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, including six serious incidents, 42 minor incidents, 46 attempted attacks and four hijackings. The Houthi attack on the merchant ship killed four sailors and seriously injured two others.
The captain took evasive action and changed course towards the Yemeni coast, where the boat also turned. The report by the British Maritime Trade body said there was no direct impact and the crew was safe.
The number of ships navigating these dangerous waters rose sharply in March, bouncing back sharply from February's low. The number of vessels transiting the Suez Canal also increased last month.
However, the coming weeks are fraught with geopolitical uncertainty. Analysts noted that this month, U.S. warplanes bombed key targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The bombing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to persuade Iran, which supports the Houthis, to abandon its nuclear program or face military action. Trump has also said he wants to remove the Houthis' control over maritime trade in the Middle East and reopen the Suez Canal for commercial shipping.
The bombing of Yemeni targets led the Houthis to add U.S. ships to their "no-sail" list, signaling its intention to resume attacks against U.S.-linked vessels in Yemeni waters. After Israel blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, Israeli ships were also "banned" from passing through the area.
According to the Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), 112 incidents have been recorded in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, including six serious incidents, 42 minor incidents, 46 attempted attacks and four hijackings. The Houthi attack on the merchant ship killed four sailors and seriously injured two others.
