Monthly Intelligence Report November 2023

This month’s issue of the Monthly Intelligence Report covers incidents that took place between October 1 - 31, 2023, in three focus regions:

• West Africa

• Western Indian Ocean (including the Persian Gulf)

• South East Asia

Focus topic: Maritime implications of the war in Gaza

After the Hamas attack on 7 October, Israel’s military has launched large-scale operations against targets in the Gaza Strip. This has led to fears over a potential escalation of the conflict throughout the region. Currently, however, overall threat levels for commercial maritime operations in areas such as the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf have not increased further. These threat levels had already been elevated due to ongoing regional tensions which are unlikely to be solved in the current environment.

In addition, the report provides a brief update on the maritime implications of the war in Ukraine.

This month's risk and threat assessment

In the report's assessment, the main incidents are put into a broader context to highlight current threat levels and potential changes for maritime operations. Moreover, the report includes forecasts that cover the main concerns in the coming weeks.