PRESS / GENERAL RELEASESnews desk

Security in Middle East - updated 8 July 2025

8 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 have continued and several seafarers have been killed.

It should be noted that this was the second ship attacked in two days and the Houthis have a stated aim to continue to attack ships that fall within their targeting matrix. The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) and Operation Aspides 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Continue to apply the Best Management Practices for Maritime Security (note, use the updated version as BMP5 has been withdrawn).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 here: https://www.maritimeglobalsecurity.org/geography/global/

For the region Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb, and Southern Red Sea, all vessels are recommended to:

  • 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 Iran and Yemen as possible, whilst in compliance with the collision regulations;
  • Treat GNSS data as potentially impacted and unreliable; and
  • Report 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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