Surge in Crimson Sea assaults after months of calm probably alerts revival of Houthis’ marketing campaign over Gaza conflict.
5 crew members have been rescued from a Liberian-flagged cargo ship within the Crimson Sea after a suspected assault from Yemen’s Houthi group, based on a maritime monitor. The assault is up to now identified to have killed a minimum of three sailors out of the 22-member crew and wounded two.
The UK Maritime Commerce Operations centre (UKMTO), run by the British navy, stated on Wednesday that “search and rescue operations commenced in a single day” after Monday’s attack on the Greek-owned Eternity C.
UKMTO had stated on Tuesday that the ship sustained “vital harm” and “misplaced all propulsion”. UK-based safety agency Ambrey instructed the AFP information company that the badly broken vessel had sunk off Yemen’s port metropolis of Hodeidah, which is below the management of the Houthis.
20250708-UKMTO_WARNING_INCIDENT_027-25-UPDATE 003https://t.co/yo0ifPJbtT#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/7VTJBPT8Tt
— UKMTO Ops Centre (@UK_MTO) July 9, 2025
The Houthis, who say they’re concentrating on Israel-linked ships as a part of a marketing campaign of solidarity with Palestinians below relentless Israeli fireplace, to strain the Israeli navy to finish its assault on Gaza, haven’t claimed duty for the assault.
Nevertheless, it got here in the future after they claimed duty for attacking one other cargo ship – the Magic Seas – within the Crimson Sea, inflicting it to sink. All of the crew have been rescued.
The assaults mark the primary assaults on delivery within the Crimson Sea since late 2024, probably signalling the beginning of a brand new armed marketing campaign threatening the waterway, which had begun to see extra visitors in latest weeks.
After Sunday’s assault on the Magic Seas, the Houthis declared that ships owned by corporations with ties to Israel have been a “reputable goal”, pledging to “stop Israeli navigation within the Crimson and Arabian Seas … till the aggression in opposition to Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted”.
Yemen’s exiled authorities, the European Union’s Operation Aspides navy pressure and the US State Division blamed the rebels for the assault on Eternity C.
“These assaults exhibit the continued risk that Iran-backed Houthi rebels pose to freedom of navigation and to regional financial and maritime safety,” State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated.
“The US has been clear: We’ll proceed to take essential motion to guard freedom of navigation and business delivery from Houthi terrorist assaults,” she added.
The majority service had been heading north in the direction of the Suez Canal when it got here below fireplace by males in small boats and by bomb-carrying drones on Monday evening, with safety guards on board firing their weapons, based on Operation Aspides and Ambrey, cited by The Related Press information company.
Operation Aspides instructed AFP on Tuesday that three folks had been killed, with a minimum of two injured, together with “a Russian electrician who misplaced a leg”.
Authorities within the Philippines instructed AFP that there have been 22 crew on the Eternity C, all however one among them Filipinos.
The Eternity C’s operator, Cosmoship Administration, has not commented on casualties or accidents.
In separate incidents, Israel’s navy and the Houthis exchanged strikes on Sunday, with Israel saying it had bombed three ports and an influence plant in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, prompting the Iran-allied group to fireplace extra missiles in the direction of Israeli territory.
Israel stated it struck the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and as-Salif on the Crimson Coastline in addition to the Ras Kathib energy plant.
It stated it additionally struck a radar system on the Galaxy Chief, which was seized by the Houthis and stays docked within the port of Hodeidah.