A tanker has reported being approached by six small boats while traveling about 50 nautical miles south of Aden in Yemen, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center said Monday.
Maritime security concerns intensified on Monday after a group of small boats approached a tanker travelling east in the IRTC, underscoring growing risks to international shipping as regional tensions between the United States and Iran continue to spill across key maritime chokepoints.
The tanker was heading east through the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) when the six small boats approached from its starboard side.
One small boat has closed to 5 cables and the AST on board the tanker has fired warning shots, UKMTO said, adding that the other 5 small boats have remained at one nautical mile.
Authorities are investigating the incident, UKMTO stressed, urging vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
No injuries or damage were reported.
The warning follows repeated advisories from the European Union’s Aspides naval mission, which has cautioned that Iranian-backed Houthi forces continue to pose a threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden despite periods of reduced attacks.
The incident comes as tensions across the Middle East continue to escalate following a series of direct military exchanges between the United States and Iran.
