The British Maritime Trade Office said it had received a report about the presence of an entity declaring itself to be from the Yemeni Navy, and ordering a ship to change course to a Yemeni port.

The office also reported receiving a report about an accident affecting a ship in the vicinity of Bab al-Mandab, west of the port of Mokha in Yemen, where a fire broke out on board.

The British Maritime Trade Operations Department stated in a press release that a fire had been recorded on a ship near Bab al-Mandab, and called on ships to take caution.

According to press reports, a security attack occurred on a ship 15 kilometers from the city of Hodeidah in western Yemen, where a cruise missile was launched towards an “Israeli ship.”

These developments come in light of the regional tensions and ongoing conflicts in Yemen, where escalation continues between Iran and the United States of America, and the region has recently witnessed an escalation in hostilities and mutual targeting between the conflicting parties.
The British Ambassador to Yemen, Abda Sharif, said “Houthi piracy in the Red Sea  undermines security and stability in Yemen.”

The government agency Saba quoted the British ambassador as saying that the Houthis’ recent attacks on international shipping and their illegal seizure of the Galaxy Leader ship undermine the security of Yemen.

She noted that the continuing threats to international commercial shipping will ultimately lead to “restricting the availability of food, and raising shipping insurance costs, which will lead to higher food prices and increased humanitarian needs.”

The British Ambassador renewed her country's commitment to protecting the safety of shipping in the region, and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the ship (MV GALAXY LEADER) and its crew.

The British Ambassador stressed, “The decisive part of the journey towards peace is the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, and the Yemeni people must be able to determine the future of their nation.”

The Houthi gang’s piracy of commercial shipping ships in the Red Sea caused increased risks, which led to major powers, including the United States and Britain, bringing their fleets and military ships to Yemeni territorial waters.
The waters of Bab al-Mandab are a strategic sea corridor linking the sea Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, through which many commercial ships and oil tankers pass. The stability of this region is considered vital to the movement of international maritime trade.