British-owned ship 'struck by rocket near Yemen' - after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Israeli cargo vessel amid spiralling tensions over Gaza

A British-owned ship passing through the Red Sea has reportedly been hit by rocket fire, a UK-based maritime security group said on Sunday, with another agency reporting possible drone activity in the area.

The unnamed Bahamas-flagged vessel was 'struck by a rocket' while sailing south around 35 nautical miles off Yemen's western coast, maritime security firm Ambrey said.

'The affected vessel was issuing distress calls relating to piracy/missile attack,' the UK-based company added.

It noted reports that 'an international naval asset in the vicinity of the incident' was likely proceeding to the ship's location, though it did not specify which nation or group the vessel was likely to belong to. 

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency, run by Britain's Royal Navy, said it had received 'a report of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) activity including a potential explosion... originating from the direction of Yemen'.

It advised vessels in the area to 'exercise caution'.

The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters after Iran-backed Huthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo vessel, the Galaxy Leader, last month.

Within days two ballistic missiles were also launched from an area controlled by Huthi rebels in Yemen, landing around 10 nautical miles from a US destroyer, the USS Mason, according to the US Department of Defence. 

The Huthis have fired a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since Hamas militants poured over the border into Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240.

The spike in maritime incidents prompted G7 foreign ministers at a meeting earlier this week to urge the rebels to cease threats to international shipping and to release the Galaxy Leader.

In the latest apparent attack, Ambrey said the targeted vessel - en route from the United States to Singapore - had transited the Suez Canal five days ago

'The bulker was reportedly struck by a rocket and the crew retreated to the citadel,' it added.

'Numerous vessels passed the incident location today but no unusual manoeuvres were observed.'

The Houthis have declared themselves part of the 'axis of resistance' of Iran's allies and proxies, and have also launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.

They have also said they may start taking more ships, civilian or military, that come too close to them. 

A video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Houthi military media showed the commander of the rebels' naval forces, General Mohammad Fadl Abdelnabi, aboard the captured vessel.

'Allies of the Zionist enemy who ensure passage through Bab al-Mandab are also considered to be a legitimate target,' he said of the choke-point at the foot of the commercially vital Red Sea.

'We say to the Zionist entity that Bab al-Mandab is a red line... Every civilian or military (Israel-affiliated) ship is considered a legitimate target,' he added.

The vital seaway is a narrow strait between Yemen and Djibouti through which a significant portion of the world's maritime traffic passes.

One of the world's busiest shipping lanes, it carries about a fifth of global oil consumption.

Since the capturing of the Galaxy Leader, the UK's Royal Navy sent in one of its most advanced warships to the Gulf to protect international vessels from terror attacks.

HMS Diamond will seek to thwart Iranian attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically important passages of water.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'Recent events have proven how critical the Middle East remains to global security and stability.

'Following the onset of the renewed conflict in Israel and Gaza and the unlawful and brazen seizure of MV Galaxy Leader by Houthis in the Red Sea, it is critical the UK bolsters its presence, to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world.

'[The] deployment will help to keep critical trade routes open and prove that our commitment to regional security not only endures but is enhanced.'

The Whitehouse said last month it was considering redesignating Yemen's Houthi movement as a terror organization after it hijacked the ship in the Red Sea.

More to follow.