Three killed on cargo ship attacked Monday in Red Sea

A cargo ship attacked off Yemen's coast in the Red Sea on Monday evening remains surrounded by its assailants, with at least three crew members killed, according to a British maritime security agency and the EU naval mission Aspides.

The MV Eternity C, flying the Liberian flag, was struck a day after another cargo vessel, the Magic Seas — also Liberian-flagged — was attacked in the same region. While the Houthis claimed the earlier strike on the Magic Seas, they have not claimed responsibility for the MV Eternity C incident.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), part of the British Navy, reported Tuesday that the Eternity C sustained heavy damage, lost all propulsion, and remains under constant assault by small boats. The EU’s Aspides mission told AFP that the dead included the ship’s chief engineer, an engine room worker, and a trainee. Two others were injured, including a Russian electrician who lost a leg.

A Liberian representative told an International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting in London that "two sailors" died in the Eternity C attack.

The Houthis released video footage of the Magic Seas strike, in which attackers are heard ordering the ship to stop. The captain is heard responding: "This ship is in legal transit. I ask you not to compromise the ship's safe passage." The footage shows an explosion and apparent sinking of the vessel. All 22 crew members were rescued.

Renewed Houthi threat?

Though the Houthis have not taken responsibility for the Eternity C assault, the two back-to-back attacks raise fears of a renewed campaign targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. That would mark a breach of the cease-fire deal reached in May between the Houthis and Washington, which had ended weeks of U.S. airstrikes.

Since late 2023, the Houthis have attacked numerous ships they claim are linked to Israel or the United States, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The threat has forced many shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the vital Red Sea corridor, which accounts for about 12 percent of global trade, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.

The security firm Ambrey said Monday that two Eternity C crew members were wounded and two others were missing. The vessel was attacked off the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida and matched the profile of targets previously hit by the group.

Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac said 21 of the 22 crew members aboard the Eternity C were Filipino.

Regional escalation

Mohammed Albasha, a Yemeni analyst with the U.S.-based Basha Report Risk Advisory, said the latest attack may be an attempt by the Houthis to demonstrate their operational capability following Israel’s brief war with Iran and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“This could be a subtle message to Washington and Tel Aviv that Iran’s allies remain active,” Albasha said. “The Houthis are signaling that they still have the ability to disrupt and control the timing of their actions.”

Israel has responded to Houthi attacks with airstrikes on targets in and around Hodeida. The Houthis claimed to have fired missiles at Israel in response, and the Israeli military confirmed detecting two launches from Yemen on Monday.

Beyond solidarity with Gaza, the Houthi campaign serves broader strategic goals, said Nadwa Dawsari, a Yemen expert at the Middle East Institute. “These strikes boost their regional standing and position them as a leading force in the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’ — Iran’s network of allied armed groups,” she wrote on X.

In May, the Houthis warned they would continue targeting ships connected to Israel, despite the cease-fire with the U.S.