CAIRO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Maritime agencies reported on Sunday that they received reports of an incident southwest of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu.

A vessel reported "a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang", the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding that the vessel's crew were all safe and it was continuing to its next voyage.

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Shortly after UKMTO's report, British maritime security firm Ambrey also said it was aware of an incident 37.5 nautical miles southwest of Yanbu.

Both firms did not identify the party responsible for the incident, but UKMTO said authorities were investigating.

Yanbu is a port city located on Western Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

Since 2023, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea that they deem to be affiliated with Israel in what they describe as support of Palestinians in Gaza.

It was not immediately clear if the Houthis were involved. The Houthis did not immediately comment on the reported incident.

Saudi Arabia led a coalition that launched a military campaign in Yemen from early 2015 to support the Gulf-backed government against the Houthis, who had seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/maritime-agencies-report-incident-southwest-saudi-arabias-red-sea-port-yanbu-2025-08-31/