The crew of a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned vessel sailing in the Red Sea abandoned ship late Sunday, July 6, after it caught fire and took on water due to an attack involving grenades, gunfire and sea drones.

Sunday’s attack comes against a backdrop of soaring regional tensions following the Israel-Hamas war, airstrikes by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites, and a brief Iran-Israel conflict

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that the vessel’s armed security team returned fire. “The situation is ongoing,” the agency said, adding that authorities are investigating.