Yemen said it would be attacking Saudi vessels. And here we are. Report via UKMTO. ---The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) is a Royal Navy-run maritime security centre, based in Bahrain, that has served as a trusted authority in the maritime security sector for more than 25 years, helping protect crucial trade routes by providing mariners, shipping companies, and regional authorities with essential, verified and corroborated security information. Its remit centres on the Middle East and Indian Ocean region, spanning key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the wider Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman. UKMTO's core function is acting as a liaison between merchant shipping and naval and coalition forces operating in the region. Through the Single Information Framework agreement, UKMTO collaborates with global maritime stakeholders to provide timely and validated security alerts, and it operates a Voluntary Reporting Scheme within a defined Voluntary Reporting Area, encouraging masters and company security officers (CSOs) to check in as they transit high-risk waters. Critically, it acts as the primary point of contact for emergency response when an incident occurs. When an attack, boarding, hijacking or other security incident takes place, UKMTO issues formal "Warnings" to industry. These are published and sent to alert masters and CSOs that an incident is taking place within its Voluntary Report Area. In practice, this means UKMTO is typically the first official body to confirm reports of vessels being struck by projectiles, drones, or explosives, or coming under armed attack, as seen repeatedly through 2024-2026 amid Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and more recent incidents tied to Gulf tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and near Iraqi and Emirati waters. Its statements are typically brief and factual: location, nature of the incident, and crew safety status, with follow-up advisories urging vessels to transit with caution. This makes UKMTO the standard first-source citation in wire reporting on Gulf and Red Sea shipping attacks, even though it doesn't attribute responsibility or investigate incidents itself. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.