The British Maritime Trade Operations reported that it received a report of an incident 24 nautical miles southeast of Al-Mokha, Yemen, where armed individuals approached a ship, noting that "gunfire occurred on the side of the ship, causing it to change course." Earlier on Monday, the agency mentioned that what is believed to be an explosion occurred near a ship in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, along with a second incident near the strait at the southern edge of the Red Sea.
In a guidance note, the agency stated it received a report about a possible explosion that took place in the water two nautical miles from a ship located 30 nautical miles south of the port of Al-Mokha, Yemen. Additionally, in a separate memo, it reported another "incident" that occurred 30 nautical miles northwest of Al-Mokha.
U.S. officials reported that "a ship named Swan Atlantic was attacked today in the southern Red Sea with projectiles launched from territory controlled by the Houthis," indicating that "the USS Carney destroyer responded to a distress call by moving towards the ship." The Norwegian company Inventor Chemical Tankers, which owns the Swan Atlantic chemical tanker, stated that the vessel was hit by an "unspecified object" during the attack in the Red Sea, without resulting in injury to any crew members.
BP, the leading oil company, announced on Monday that it is temporarily halting all transportation operations in the Red Sea following the attacks carried out by Houthi forces that control most of Yemen earlier this week. The company stated, "The safety and security of our employees and those working on our behalf is a priority for BP." It further noted, "In light of the deteriorating security situation for shipping in the Red Sea, BP has decided to temporarily suspend all transit operations through the Red Sea." The Houthis are launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea as part of their protest against the bombing and ground invasions carried out by Israel on the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement (Hamas) conducted a cross-border attack on October 7.
