Continued Houthi attacks raise Red Sea shipping risk

As of 11 November 2026, multiple sources report continuing Houthi missile, drone and projectile strikes affecting merchant shipping and nearby oil infrastructure. UKMTO and regional trackers logged recent projectiles, fires and disabled tankers, and analysts say transit through the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb remains highly risky and insurance costs elevated.

If attacks persist, shipping lines may keep routing around the Cape of Good Hope, adding roughly one to two weeks to Asia–Europe voyages, raising freight and insurance costs and tying up vessel capacity. That raises landed fuel costs for import-dependent African states (notably Egypt) and can exert upward pressure on Brent crude if Gulf export chokepoints widen or Saudi infrastructure is hit.

Watch for further UKMTO alerts, confirmed merchant vessel damage/sinkings, or coalition naval operations in the southern Red Sea within the next week.