Egyptian cargo ship set ablaze in Bab al-Mandeb after Houthi attack

Footage released on Saturday showed an Egyptian‑owned cargo vessel ablaze in the Bab al‑Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The incident occurred shortly after the ship passed the strait’s southern entrance, and regional monitors quickly attributed the fire to a suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have escalated strikes on commercial shipping in the area over the past year. Maritime authorities reported that the vessel’s crew was evacuated without loss of life, and nearby naval vessels moved in to contain the blaze and prevent further damage to the surrounding traffic corridor.

The Bab al‑Mandeb is a critical chokepoint for global trade, handling a substantial portion of the world’s oil and container shipments. The latest event adds to a series of recent assaults that have prompted heightened alerts from the International Maritime Organization and calls for increased naval patrols by coalition forces operating in the Red Sea. Officials from Egypt’s Ministry of Transport confirmed the incident and pledged to cooperate with international partners to investigate the attack, while shipping companies are reviewing route security measures to mitigate the risk of further disruptions.