A cargo ship came under fire Sunday, July 6, in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, marking another escalation in the region after failed Trump diplomacy.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel was targeted by armed men using guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
Moreover, the attackers approached the ship while at sea and opened fire, forcing the onboard security team to return fire in self-defense.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that the incident occurred 51 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, at 11:25 UTC.
The vessel was targeted by multiple small boats that opened fire using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
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Trump’s Plan Fails
Authorities are currently investigating, and UKMTO has advised all vessels in the region to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
However, the vessel’s condition and the number of crew members onboard were not immediately disclosed.
UKMTO confirmed that the situation remained ongoing as of Sunday evening, with no immediate claims of responsibility.
Suspicion is already pointing toward Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have carried out similar attacks in the past as part of their opposition to Western involvement in the region and in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The attack raises further questions about the effectiveness of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure strategy, which aimed to stabilize the Red Sea.
Trump aims to block Iran and its proxies through sanctions, military posturing, and naval patrols.
However, the region has grown more volatile, with Yemen’s civil war, U.S. strikes on Iranian sites, and tensions between Iran and Israel turning the Red Sea into a flashpoint for international conflict.
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The Red Sea Missile War
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted commercial and military ships in the Red Sea using missiles and drones, claiming the attacks are in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Between November 2023 and January 2025, the group struck over 100 merchant vessels, resulting in the sinking of two ships and the deaths of four sailors.
The assaults disrupted trade through the Red Sea corridor, a critical route that normally handles goods worth over $1 trillion (USD) each year.
Additionally, the Houthis declared a self-imposed ceasefire following the attacks but resumed hostilities after the United States launched a major military operation against them in mid-March.
That offensive ended a few weeks later, and since then, the rebels have not attacked ships, though they have continued to occasionally launch missiles toward Israel.
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