Yemen’s Houthis sink cargo ship, kill mariners in renewed Red Sea assault
By isabelle // 2025-07-09
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  • Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked two commercial ships in the Red Sea, killing three mariners and forcing crews to abandon vessels, marking a dangerous escalation in their campaign against Israeli-linked shipping.
  • Israel retaliated with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled ports, but the rebels dismissed them as ineffective and vowed further attacks, including missile strikes on Israeli territory.
  • The Houthis released footage of gunmen storming a ship, chanting anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans, while claiming the attacks enforced their blockade of "occupied Palestinian ports."
  • Global trade faces severe disruption, with potential rerouting of ships around Africa at massive economic cost, while the EU warns over $1 trillion in annual trade relies on Red Sea security.
  • The crisis risks sparking a broader regional conflict, with analysts linking the attacks to Netanyahu’s U.S. visit and escalating tensions between Iran and the West over Gaza.
The Red Sea erupted in violence this week as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched deadly attacks on two commercial ships, killing three mariners and forcing crews to abandon vessels in a dramatic escalation of their ongoing campaign against Israeli-linked shipping. The new assaults, which are the first since late 2024, come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Donald Trump, underscoring the explosive geopolitical stakes of a conflict that could spill into a broader regional war. According to EU naval forces, the Greek-owned Eternity C was besieged by small boats and bomb-carrying drones Monday night, leaving three dead and two severely wounded, including one crew member who lost a leg. The Houthis separately claimed to have sunk the Magic Seas after a relentless barrage of missiles, drones, and RPGs forced its 22-member crew to flee. The UAE later rescued all Magic Seas survivors, but the attacks signal a dangerous resurgence of Houthi aggression in vital shipping lanes. Israel responded swiftly, bombing Houthi-controlled ports at Hodeidah, Ras-Isa, and Salif, as well as the Ras Kathib power plant in strikes the rebels dismissed as ineffective. Houthi military spokesman Yehyaa Saree vowed retaliation, firing missiles toward Israeli territory targeting Ben Gurion Airport and the Ashdod and Eilat ports. The Houthis’ propaganda arm released footage of masked gunmen storming the Magic Seas, chanting, "Death to America, death to Israel," before allegedly detonating explosives to sink the vessel. Michael Bodouroglou, a representative for the ship’s operator, insisted the Magic Seas had no ties to Israel, carrying only fertilizer and steel from China to Turkey. Yet the Houthis justified the assault as punishment for violating their blockade of "occupied Palestinian ports"—a reference to Israel.

Global trade at risk

Maritime security firms warn the attacks could trigger another wave of shipping disruptions, forcing cargo reroutes around Africa at massive economic cost. "These attacks directly threaten regional peace and stability, global commerce and freedom of navigation as a global public good. They can negatively impact the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen," the EU stated, noting over $1 trillion in annual trade passes through the Red Sea. The U.S. State Department condemned the "Houthi terrorist attacks," but avoided committing to renewed military action. The violence coincides with fragile Gaza ceasefire talks and heightened U.S.-Iran tensions after American airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear sites in June. Wolf-Christian Paes of the International Institute for Strategic Studies suggested the timing was no accident: "If I were to venture, I guess it has to do with Netanyahu being in Washington and with the fact that, of, course, Iran and its network of allies has been taking a bit of a beating in the last couple of months." Israel’s Gaza offensive, which is now in its 20th month, has fueled regional volatility, with the Houthis leveraging Palestinian suffering to legitimize their assaults. The UN condemned the ship attacks but stopped short of blaming specific actors, urging de-escalation. Meanwhile, the Eternity C drifts helplessly in the Red Sea, with its traumatized crew stranded aboard. With the Houthis vowing further strikes and Israel promising counteroperations, the world faces a choice: pressure Israel to halt its bombardment of Gaza, or risk a wider war that could draw in nuclear-armed powers. As the Magic Seas slips beneath the waves, its sinking serves as a dire symbol—not just of the Houthis’ growing naval capabilities, but of a crisis with no peaceful end in sight. Unless global powers act decisively to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the Red Sea may soon run redder still. Sources for this article include: AlJazeera.com APNews.com CBSNews.com Newsweek.com
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