Three crew members were killed and several others kidnapped when Houthi rebels attacked a cargo ship transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on August 11, according to two Yemeni coast guard sources and two military officials.
The assault on the deck cargo vessel marks the latest escalation in the Iran-backed groups campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, coming just one day after a devastating missile and drone barrage struck the Yemeni port city of Mokha that killed seven people.
Yemeni coast guard officials said the ship came under sustained fire as it passed through the narrow strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen confirmed the crew casualties and reports of kidnappings, while the European Union Naval Force Operation Aspides confirmed the three deaths.
The attack comes amid a broader Houthi offensive across multiple fronts in Yemen. On the same day, the rebels launched new ballistic missile attacks on Mokha and the central province of Marib, continuing their assault on government-held territory that began over the weekend.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which roughly 12% of global trade passes, has been a flashpoint since the start of the wider Iran conflict. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted commercial vessels and warships in the waterway, disrupting global supply chains and driving up shipping insurance costs.
International maritime organizations have struggled to maintain safe passage through the strait, with the U.N. International Maritime Organization pausing its ship escort operations after a vessel reported an attack earlier this month. The latest fatal assault will intensify pressure on Western navies to restore a credible security umbrella for commercial traffic.
The attack also complicates ongoing diplomatic efforts to broker a wider ceasefire in the region. While the U.S. and Iran have engaged in indirect negotiations over a possible 60-day ceasefire extension and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz further north, the Houthis continue to demonstrate their ability to disrupt maritime commerce independently.
Sources: Times of Israel, Asharq Al-Awsat, CBS News
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