British Maritime Agency Reports 'Possible' Explosion Off Yemen Coast (Photo by Venti Views on Unsplash)

The British Maritime Authority reported a “possible explosion” near a vessel in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab, a key trade chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and Europe. The agency also reported two other incidents near the strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. The British Navy”s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) stated on Monday that a “possible explosion” reportedly occurred in the water, two nautical miles (nearly 4 km) off one of the vessel quarters.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) usually provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East. The agency said that authorities are investigating the matter and added in its advisory that “vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.” In separate advisories, the maritime agency also informed that they had received reports of a second incident 30 nautical miles northwest of Mokha and another incident reported 24 nautical miles southeast of the Mokha port in Yemen.

At the same time, Reuters reported that a Norwegian-owned vessel was attacked in the Red Sea on Monday in a strike. US officials told Reuters that the vessel was attacked by multiple projectiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory. Reuters, citing the owner of the ship, reported that the ship was hit by an unidentified object and that none of its crew had been injured.

Earlier, two shipping companies announced that they would pause all journeys through the Red Sea. This was followed by a series of attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Notably, the attacks against vessels have raised concerns about the impact on the flow of oil, grain, and consumer goods. Disruption in the Red Sea, a busy waterway, is expected to have a significant impact on global trade.