The message was brief. Chilling. ‘Please send help.
’ It came from a crew on a vessel caught in the crossfire of a US missile strike in the Red Sea. A stark reminder that British shipping lanes are now collateral damage in a wider war. The attack happened late Tuesday.
A US destroyer engaged Houthi rebels. But one missile went astray. It hit a commercial tanker flying a Liberian flag.
The crew? Mostly Indian and Filipino. But the ship’s management?
British. So the distress call went straight to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. They alerted the Royal Navy.
A frigate was dispatched. But it took hours to reach the scene. By then, the crew had abandoned ship.
Two lifeboats were spotted. All 22 crew were rescued. But the tanker is now drifting, ablaze.
A hazard to navigation. This incident lays bare a growing crisis. Since the Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November, there have been over 30 attacks.
British-flagged vessels have been hit. Insurance premiums have soared. Some shipping lines are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope.
Adding days to journeys. Costs to consumers. The government has been running a naval escort operation.
But resources are stretched. The Type 45 destroyers are world-class. But there are only six.
And they are needed elsewhere. In the Falklands. In the Gulf.
In the South China Sea. The Defence Secretary insists the UK can ‘hold its own’. Behind the scenes, officials are less confident.
One source told me the Navy is ‘running on fumes’. The real fear is a major incident. A British tanker sunk.
A British sailor killed. That would be a political disaster. Number 10 is acutely aware.
They are lobbying the US for more intelligence sharing. Better targeting data. But the Americans have their own priorities.
The White House wants to avoid escalation with Iran. So the strikes are calibrated. Limited.
That leaves British shipping exposed. The Treasury is also worried. About inflation.
About supply chains. About the cost of naval operations. There is a mood of quiet desperation.
The Foreign Office is exploring diplomatic channels. Talking to Oman. To Qatar.
Trying to broker a ceasefire. But the Houthis are not listening. They see this as a fight for Palestine.
They are armed by Iran. They have drones. They have missiles.
They are not going to stop. So the risk to British shipping remains high. The distress call was a warning.
Ignore it at our peril.
