Security in Middle East - updated 11 July 2025

11 July 2025

On 7 July, the Houthis attacked a second bulk carrier, Eternity C, IMO No. 9588249, navigating through the Southern Red Sea. The ship reported that it was attacked by multiple small craft. These attacks continued with the result that several seafarers have been killed. Both the Magic Seas and the Eternity C have now been sunk by the Houthis. 

In response, a joint industry communique was published.

In various meetings with the military organisations in the region over the last week, it is clear that the ability of the naval assets to provide support is very limited. Due to the concerns of the military to ensure the safety of their ships, support in the event of an attack is very unlikely. The industry group will continue to push for more military support. However, ships that decide to transit following a thorough risk assessment should still request support from Operation Aspides which they state is open to all. 

In assessing the risk to the ship, it should be noted that any links to Israel are assessed by operation Aspides as representing a critical threat to the ship. Such linkages do include previous port calls by other ships in the same company. Further guidance on those links is currently being developed by Operation Aspides. 

The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) have published advice on transits which states:

JMIC strongly urges all shipping companies and operators with vessels transiting the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden to review their risk assessments to include the following:

• Conduct a comprehensive audit of any Israeli port calls within their fleet, including those of sister vessels, time-chartered vessels, and vessels under common beneficial ownership or technical management.
• Evaluate their digital footprint, including AIS transmission logs, vessel-tracking platforms, and public maritime databases, for any historical linkage that could be interpreted by Houthi-affiliated actors as grounds for targeting.
• Reinforce cybersecurity and information control protocols, particularly concerning voyage routing, port call data, and affiliations that may be available through open-source intelligence (OSINT) methods.

The JMIC advice can be downloaded here.

In addition to the above, the INTERTANKO advice remains:

• Continue to apply the Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (note, use the updated version as BMP5 has been withdrawn).
  The BMP MS can be downloaded from the following link:
  https://www.maritimeglobalsecurity.org/geography/global/
• For the region Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb, and Southern Red Sea, all vessels are recommended to:
• Conduct a thorough risk assessment with a comprehensive assessment of any links to Israel;
• Contact Operation Aspides and ask for support during the transit;
• Ensure reporting procedures are being complied with as per the ship security plans;
• Ensure that the crew understand and practise the procedures to be applied in the event of a security incident (missile warning, small boat attack, drone attack, helicopter boarding etc);
• Ensure the JMIC bridge procedure cards are available on the bridge and crew are familiar with them;
• Navigate as far from Yemen as possible, whilst in compliance with the collision regulations;
• Treat GNSS data as potentially impacted and unreliable; andReport any suspicious activity to UKMTO.

During this period, the INTERTANKO Secretariat has maintained close links with the regional militaries, relevant national entities, and has coordinated with other industry groups to ensure the most up-to-date guidance available.

We will update Members and forward advice as and when more information becomes available on any specific threats.

Contact: Phil Belcher - Tel: +44 (0) 20 7977 7033 | Mobile: + 44 (0)788 597 5384

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