Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthis sank two cargo ships in the Red Sea this week, the first flare-up in seven months in the Iran-backed group’s years-long campaign to choke global shipping in protest over the war in Gaza and the plight of the Palestinians.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant ships travelling through the Red Sea, sinking four vessels,

seizing another

and killing at least eight sailors.

Here are details on some of the attacks:

Eternity C

The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C sank on July 9, after sustaining two days of drone and missile fire. Four sailors were killed in the attacks, according to maritime officials, with 10 rescued and another 11 missing.

The US Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of kidnapping many of the missing crew members, whose fate remains unknown.

Magic Seas

Another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulker, the Magic Seas, sank on July 6, after sustaining damage from gunfire, missiles, drones and four remote-controlled explosive boats.

The entire crew was evacuated to Djibouti aboard a passing merchant vessel. The Houthis’ media arm soon after released a video of the strikes and subsequent storming of the ship by armed militants.

Sounion

The Greek-registered tanker Sounion, carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil, was struck by several missiles and drones and caught fire on Aug 21, 2024, triggering fears of an oil spill that could cause catastrophic environmental damage.

It took months for the vessel to be declared safe and the cargo removed.

Tutor

The Greek-owned coal carrier Tutor sank in June 2024, days after it was struck with missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat by Houthis near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

One crew member, believed to have been working in the Tutor’s engine room, was never found. The rest were evacuated by military authorities and repatriated.

True Confidence

In March 2024, a Houthi missile attack killed three seafarers on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence, in the first fatalities reported.

The attack set the ship ablaze

around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen’s port of Aden.

Rubymar

The British-owned Rubymar was struck with multiple missiles in February 2024. It

sank on March 2

, becoming the first ship struck by the Houthis to do so.

Zografia

The Greek-owned vessel Zografia was sailing from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board and was empty of cargo when

attacked off the Yemeni port of Saleef

in January 2024.

The attack caused a large hole below the waterline.

Galaxy Leader

Houthi commandos

seized the crew and Bahamas-flagged car carrier Galaxy Leader

in international waters in November 2023.

The militia freed its 25 crew members only in January 2025, more than a year after they were captured. REUTERS