Houthi missile strike kills four on cargo ship in Red Sea

Four crew members were killed on Tuesday after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired three ballistic missiles at a commercial vessel carrying food supplies in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, marking the first confirmed fatal strike on shipping since the current phase of the regional conflict began in late February.

The Attack

Yemen's Ministry of Transportation said the Yemeni-flagged vessel Tihamah was struck three times while sailing through the strategic waterway, setting the ship on fire and causing material damage. The dead included three Pakistani crew members and one Indonesian sailor, with four others wounded and a member of the rescue team also injured.tribune+2

The ministry said Houthi forces fired an additional missile at the vessel as rescue teams attempted to reach the crew, in what it called a deliberate attempt to "maximize casualties and prevent the rescue of the victims." After the attack, the crew lost control of the ship and were approached by the Yemeni coastguard, which then came under fire, according to UK maritime risk management group Vanguard.reuters+2

Reuters reported the fatalities would be the first deaths in a Houthi strike on a ship since the Iran war was triggered by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February. The Houthis have not claimed the attack.reuters

Collapsing Shipping Traffic

The attack comes amid a sharp decline in maritime traffic through the strait. An average of 32 ships per day passed through the Bab el-Mandeb last week, according to Kpler data, down from 50 before the Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is even more disrupted, with just six vessels passing through on Monday, down from prewar levels of 130 to 140.cbc+1

The Egyptian-owned Tihamah was not Saudi-owned or operated, British maritime security group Ambrey noted, and had departed the Yemeni government-held port of al-Mokha on Saturday.reuters+1

Wider Escalation

The incident occurred as a years-long truce in Yemen's civil war collapsed last month amid fighting between Iran and the United States. The Houthis have also carried out fresh strikes on government-held areas including Mokha and Marib province, killing dozens in recent weeks.newindianexpress+1

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called on all parties to stop the "escalation," describing recent hostilities as the most serious "since the ceasefire negotiated by the UN in 2022."democrata